A man believed to be of Tongan descent has reportedly been assaulted while helping restrain a crash suspect following a series of incidents in western Sydney that ended with a vehicle engulfed in flames.
Western Sydney police said the incident unfolded late Sunday night after a chain of collisions involving a Toyota SUV driven by a 35-year-old man, identified in media reports as Siosifa Tupou.
According to Sydney media reports, the sequence began when the Toyota SUV allegedly collided with a Mercedes coupe on Hassall Street in Wetherill Park.
The vehicle then continued driving, crashing into a second vehicle on The Horsley Drive before striking a parked car on Maugham Crescent at about 11.20pm.
The SUV eventually came to a stop and caught fire, prompting bystanders to rush to the scene. Witnesses pulled the driver from the burning vehicle, with some attempting to restrain him as emergency services arrived.
Fire and Rescue NSW extinguished the blaze, while police were informed of the earlier crashes. Despite the severity of the incidents, the drivers of the other vehicles were reported to be uninjured.
Police allege that the suspect became violent during his arrest, including biting an officer at the scene and refusing to undergo a roadside breath test.
The accused appeared in Fairfield Local Court on Monday, facing multiple charges including assaulting police, hindering police, failing to keep left, and refusing both a breath test and a breath analysis after arrest.
He was granted bail but has been banned from driving and must submit to drug and alcohol testing upon request.
