A retired married couple were at their regular fishing spot in Sydney’s north when the man struck his wife with the car before both plunged into the water.
The 74-year-old woman was rescued from the Parramatta River in Greenwich by a man working nearby, and was in Royal North Shore hospital with non-life-threatening injuries where she was being supported by family and friends.
The 86-year-old man died at the scene, with police divers retrieving his body from the river on Monday.
Det Supt Paul Devaney told reporters on Tuesday the couple were local to the area and had just gotten their fishing gear out of the car at Greenwich Sailing Club. The husband went to park the car, which then accelerated towards the woman, striking her and crashing through a fence.
“It’s quite distressing, it’s quite tragic,” he said.
Police were still determining the cause of the incident.
“Police declared a crime scene and commenced an investigation. We are currently preparing a brief of evidence at this stage,” Devaney said.
He said the car, which was approximately 10 metres under water, would be retrieved using a large crane and undergo forensic examination to assist in determining the cause of the incident.
Devaney said a passerby, a 55-year-old man from the Central Coast, had helped the woman out of the water, and then attempted to help the man.
“He’s obviously quite traumatised about the incident,” Devaney said.
