Just three days ago, university student Nicole Lewanski made the decision to go vegetarian.
Create a free account to read this article
or signup to continue reading
Her vegan brother Steven celebrated with her and told her he was proud of her.
"I knew your heart would overcome your appetite eventually," he told her.
Now he is mourning the loss of his younger sister following a horror crash in Sydney's south-west on Wednesday evening.
Ms Lewanski, who hoped to become a librarian, was walking home from work at Big W about 5.50pm when she was hit by an out-of-control ute allegedly driven by a drunk driver.
Police will allege the 35-year-old driver was nearly four times over the legal limit and ran a red light on the Princes Highway at Wolli Creek.
Witnessed said Ms Lewanski was standing on a pedestrian island in the middle of the road. She was flung several metres along the highway and suffered critical injuries.
"[Seeing] that poor girl lying down was heartbreaking and will take time to forget that image in my mind," one man wrote online.
Late on Wednesday night, Steven Lewanski posted a public message on Facebook confirming his sister's death.
"Nicole's beautiful soul has shed this worldly vessel," he posted.
"My little sister was a victim of a fatal collision whilst walking home from work. Will add more information in time. Please be gentle in communication, this is a tender time for our family."
Friends have responded with memories of Ms Lewanski as a bubbly and kind-hearted girl.
"A gentle soul who even now makes me smile thru tears in memory," one friend posted.
On her online profiles, Ms Lewanski described herself as a "future librarian" studying information and media at UTS following a TAFE degree in library and information services.
Her posts revealed a love for literature, social justice and music gigs.
Footage from the crash scene showed a blue ute, with significant damage to its front end, partially resting on the footpath in the north-bound lanes of the Princes Highway. Its bonnet was torn off, with debris scattered along the road.
A NSW Police spokeswoman said officers spoke to the driver a short distance from the crash scene.
They took him back to the crash scene, where he allegedly refused to undergo a roadside breath test.
A photo from the scene shows him sitting handcuffed on the side of the road in high-vis work gear.
He was arrested and taken to hospital, where police allege he returned a reading of .199 - nearly four times over the legal limit.
One man wrote online that he was near the crash scene at the time and heard a "loud thud, and that's it".
"No screams ... no screeching of brakes," he said.
"Just a loud thud at 5.45pm followed by a collective gasp and a woman lying on the pavement with the blue ute at a distance. People frantically tried to revive her around 5.48 pm and the police and ambulance arrived minutes later."
Paramedics found Ms Lewanski unconscious in the middle of the highway. They treated her at the scene before taking her to St George Hospital, where she died from her injuries overnight.
The man was taken to Kogarah police station where he was charged with aggravated dangerous driving occasioning death; dangerous driving occasioning death; negligent driving occasioning death; high-range drink-driving; driving recklessly, furiously or at a speed or manner dangerous; and not stopping at a red light.
His licence was suspended and he was refused police bail before his scheduled appearance at Sutherland Local Court on Thursday.
A number of residents from Wolli Creek placed flowers at the crash scene on Thursday morning.
