A man charged with attempted murder over a crash and stabbing rampage that injured five others on a major Sydney highway has been identified.
Antony Benson, 58, allegedly reacted violently when his 48-year-old partner changed the car radio station and collided with a blue Mitsubishi Lancer at the intersection of the Princes Hwy and Old Bush Rd at Engadine just before 9am Sunday.
Police allege Benson used a box cutter to repeatedly stab his passenger in the moments before the crash and then turned on community members who stopped to help.
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The accused offender then self-inflicted serious injuries before his arrest.
He remains in a stable condition under police guard at Liverpool Hospital.
His passenger was taken to St George Hospital in a critical condition and was on Monday confirmed to be stable.
On Monday, police charged Benson with eight offences including reckless wounding, causing grievous bodily harm to a person with intent to murder, domestic violence related and dangerous driving occasioning grievous bodily harm.
He was refused police bail to face Sutherland Local Court on Monday.
Witnesses reported seeing the car driving erratically and at high speed before it crashed, which is when police believe the alleged assault on Benson’s partner may have unfolded.
Several members of the public stopped to assist at the crash when Benson emerged from his vehicle “covered in blood”.
Witnesses said they tried to keep Benson in the area until police arrived.
A 67-year-old man suffered a laceration to his abdomen in the process and remains at St George Hospital in a stable condition.
A police officer was also seriously injured while arresting the driver, while two people were injured when their car was hit by the alleged attacker’s car.
Witnesses’ ‘unbelievable’ bravery
Following the crash, multiple people stopped to help, assuming it was a standard car accident when things took a terrifying turn.
Witness Nikki Cousins said she heard a car speeding before a “big bang” and rushed out to see the man holding a blade.
She said the man was ranting and threatening self-harm.
“He was quite manic,” she told 7NEWS exclusively.
She said the man had a “significant amount of blood” on his shirt.
Other witnesses said the man was heavily bleeding from his neck.
Steve Mace, the chair of NRL club Cronulla who witnessed the incident, lauded a fellow passerby who intervened and put himself between the woman and the knife-wielding driver despite suffering a serious stab wound.
“Getting her in and out of that car to dodge the stab wounds was unbelievable,” Mace told Sydney radio 2GB on Monday.
The men initially pulled the bloodied woman from the car, only to return her to the car when the driver ran around to continue the assault.
Video from witnesses shows a man holding the passenger door shut as the shouting driver, with blood across his white shirt, moved about the rear of the car.
“The first time you were dodging swings, like deadset swings, and all he was carrying on was about a radio station getting changed,” Mace said.
“Then it was ‘You’re all gone anyway because you’ve all got the jab’.’”
The woman also needed to be calmed after she saw her partner run up the street when police arrived.
Police said they were not aware of a history of violence between the 58-year-old and his passenger but said he was known to police.
Superintendent Donald Faulds commended community members for their “amazing work” during the confronting ordeal.
“They just turned up thinking it was just a normal motor vehicle accident, so they obviously want to render assistance to both people, and then they were faced with a male armed with a box cutter,” he said.
“Quite frightening, but very, very brave.”
Investigations are continuing and anyone with information is asked to contact Crime Stoppers.
– With AAP
If you or someone you know is impacted by sexual assault, domestic or family violence, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or visit 1800RESPECT.org.au.
In an emergency, call 000.
If you need help in a crisis, call Lifeline on 13 11 14.
