The chauffeur whose Mercedes was destroyed in a crash with a $1.5million Rolls-Royce allegedly driven by a mysterious Chinese heiress says he has been gagged from talking about what happened.
George Plassaras suffered catastrophic injuries when 23-year-old LanLan Yang’s customised Tiffany blue Rolls allegedly ploughed into his vehicle in Sydney‘s eastern suburbs.
The impact reportedly caused Mr Plassaras to suffer a broken spine, shattered hips, two broken femurs, busted ribs, a ruptured spleen and torn-open abdomen.
Yang has been charged with negligent driving causing grievous bodily harm – an offence which carries a maximum penalty of seven years in jail.
She faces a lesser, back-up charge of dangerous driving causing grievous bodily harm and is also accused of not giving her particulars to police and failing to submit to breath analysis.
The last time Yang’s matter was mentioned in court her barrister said she would enter pleas next month if communications with police and Mr Plassaras had an ‘expected result’.
When contacted by the Daily Mail, Mr Plassaras said he was ‘OK’ but could not disclose whether Yang’s lawyers had been in contact with him.
‘I’m not able to talk about anything because I’ve been silenced by my solicitor,’ he said. ‘I’ve been silenced because of what’s going on, she’s still in court.
George Plassaras, the chauffeur whose Mercedes was destroyed in a crash with a $1.5million Rolls-Royce allegedly driven by a mysterious Chinese heiress, says he has been gagged from talking about what happened. Mr Plassaras is pictured
George Plassaras suffered catastrophic injuries when LanLan Yang’s customised Tiffany blue Rolls allegedly ploughed into his vehicle in Sydney ‘s eastern suburbs. Yan is pictured
‘I’ve been approached by a lot of people – like all the papers, all the radio stations, all the TV stations – they’ve all approached me and I just can’t talk.’
When asked specifically if he had been approached by Yang or her lawyers, Mr Plassaras politely replied that he did not wish to be contacted again.
The 52-year-old was a regular driver for radio king Kyle Sandilands and friends have said he was unlikely to return to work due to the extent of his injuries.
Mr Plassaras had not been quoted since an interview with Sandilands four days after the crash, which occurred on New South Head Road at Rose about 3.20am on July 26.
‘I’ve got no right hip,’ he said back then. ‘It’s totally gone. I’ve just been lying flat since Saturday, since the accident.
‘After the hip [surgery], I’ve got to do my right knee, they’ve got to check my X-ray for my spine, once I do my hip. There’s a long list of injuries.’
A friend told Daily Mail this week that Mr Plassaras was due to have a knee reconstruction and was facing a long rehabilitation process.
‘He’s doing better than we expected,’ the friend said. ‘Because he was such a healthy dude beforehand, I think that’s really, really helped him.
Mr Plassaras (above, before the collission) suffered a broken spine, shattered hips, two broken femurs, busted ribs, a ruptured spleen and torn-open abdomen
Mr Plassaras had just started work when his van was allegedly struck by Yang’s Rolls-Royce on New South Head Road, Rose Bay, about 3.20am on July 26 (above)
‘But he can’t walk without a stick because he could just collapse under his own weight. He’s just been approved for a new knee, which is great.
‘His hip is held together with plates and screws. It was like his leg was literally shoved through the hip ball joint and the ball joint just smashed.’
Mr Plassaras was photographed for the first time since leaving hospital when he was spotted outside his home, not far from scene of the crash, on September 30.
He was dropped off at this unit by another chauffer and seen walking slowly with the aid of a cane as he picked up clothes from a local dry cleaner, before the pair bought coffee.
A witness said Mr Plassaras, who is single and lives alone, clearly needed the cane to walk but appeared to be in good spirits, considering what he had endured.
Yang, who emerged from the crash unscathed, had allegedly crossed double yellow lines, not given police her version of events after the crash and failed to submit to a breath test.
She has since become the subject of intense speculation about her background, due to her lack of a social media presence, extraordinary designer wardrobe and obvious wealth.
Daily Mail previously revealed Yang kept a second Rolls-Royce – this one a white Ghost convertible worth up to $800,000 – in the garage of her Watsons Bay penthouse.
Whenever Yang has been seen in public over the past two months she has been dressed head to toe in designer clothing – particularly Chanel, Hermès and Louis Vuitton.
LanLan Yang (left) has become the subject of intense speculation due to her lack of a social media presence, extraordinary designer wardrobe and obvious enormous wealth
Yang was allegedly driving this Tiffany blue Rolls-Royce Cullinan when she smashed into a van driven by George Plassaras, who regularly drives for Kyle Sandilands
She has only been pictured once not wearing a face mask and once without a hat.
While Mr Plassaras continues his recovery, Yang has made no statement about the crash or publicly expressed concern for his welfare.
She has not appeared in person on the three occasions her case has been mentioned in Downing Centre Local Court.
When Yang’s matter was first listed on August 15, scores of curious Chinese Australian onlookers queued outside to get a glimpse of the young woman.
Yang’s barrister John Korn disclosed some of his client’s background when her case was mentioned for the second time on October 26.
Mr Korn said Yang’s parents had sent her to Australia at attend school when she was 14 and she was now a permanent resident.
The university student had rarely returned to China, suffered ‘considerable’ mental health issues and ‘hardly leaves her home’.
Yang was expected to enter pleas on October 17 but instead Mr Korn asked for another adjournment while talks continued ‘with the police hierarchy’ over the charges.
Mr Plassaras was trapped in the wreckage of his Mercedes and could be heard yelling for help as police and Fire and Rescue NSW worked to free him from the crushed vehicle
Mr Korn said Yang would enter pleas if letters sent to police and conversations with Mr Plassaras had an ‘expected result’.
A GoFundMe launched by the NSW Hire Car Association raised $8,620 for Mr Plassaras and after platform fees were deducted $8,413.86 was paid to him.
‘George now faces a heartbreaking journey ahead with catastrophic injuries from head to toe,’ association founder and appeal organiser Simon Kalipciyan said.
‘The man who spent years ensuring others reached their destinations safely now faces the frightening prospect of not knowing if he’ll ever walk normally again…’
Mr Kalipciyan said Mr Plassaras’s van had been written-off in the collision.
‘The vehicle that represented years of hard work, pride, and his means of earning a living is now scrap metal,’ he said.
‘Without income and facing mounting medical bills, George is confronting financial devastation on top of his physical trauma.’
Mr Kalipciyan said Mr Plassaras faced mounting bills for rehabilitation, treatment, home modifications and mobility aids as well as basic living expenses.
‘George never asked for this,’ he said.
‘He was simply a hardworking professional who took pride in providing excellent service to his clients.’
Yang will be required to enter pleas when her case returns to court on November 14.
