A chauffeur whose Mercedes was destroyed in a crash with a $1.5million Rolls-Royce allegedly driven by a mysterious Chinese heiress is back on his feet, two months after suffering severe injuries in the head-on collision.
George Plassaras’ van collided with 23-year-old LanLan Yang’s customised Tiffany blue Rolls-Royce Cullinan in Sydney‘s eastern suburbs at 3.20am on July 26.
The impact reportedly caused Mr Plassaras to suffer a broken spine, two broken hips, two broken femurs, a ruptured spleen and torn-open abdomen.
Mr Plassaras was taken to St Vincent’s Hospital after the crash, which occurred on New South Head Road at Rose Bay, and was later transferred to an injury rehabilitation facility.
On Tuesday, the 52-year-old was seen for the first time since he was allowed to go home, being dropped off by another chauffeur at his unit near the scene of the accident.
That chauffeur works for Unity Executive Services, which provides limousines and security services for international celebrities.
Unity is owned by Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban‘s long-term bodyguard Evan Koutavakis, who has also provided protection for Kim Kardashian and Usain Bolt when they visited Australia.
The sighting of Mr Plassaras, who regularly drove for radio king Kyle Sandilands, came just hours after it was revealed Kidman and Urban’s marriage was over.
Chaueffer George Plassaras (left), whose Mercedes was destroyed in a crash with a $1.5million Rolls-Royce allegedly driven by a mysterious Chinese heiress, is back on his feet
George Plassaras (above), pictured carrying dry cleaning on Tuesday, was left with life-changing injuries after his van collided with LanLan Yang’s Tiffany blue Rolls-Royce
Mr Plassaras and another chauffeur bought coffee on Tuesday afternoon (above) and Mr Plassaras spoke animatedly to woman he appeared to know
Mr Plassaras was walking slowly with the aid of a cane as he picked up clothes from a local dry cleaner. The other chauffeur then took luggage and two cooler bags from Mr Plassaras’ home and placed them in his car.
The pair bought coffee across the road and Mr Plassaras spoke animatedly to a woman he appeared to know before the men returned to the Unity chauffeur’s BMW SUV and drove off.
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.
‘He was smiling and friendly,’ the witness said. ‘He was happy having a good chat with the other driver.’
Mr Plassaras, who declined to comment on his circumstances based on legal advice, had just started work when his van was allegedly struck by one of Yang’s two Rolls-Royces.
He 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.
Yang, who emerged from the crash unscathed, had allegedly crossed double yellow lines, did not give 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 apparently enormous wealth.
LanLan Yang (left) has become the subject of intense speculation due to her lack of a social media presence, extraordinary designer wardrobe and apparently enormous wealth
While Mr Plassaras continues his slow road to some sort of recovery, LanLan Yang (above) has made no statement about the crash or publicly expressed concern for his welfare
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.
Rumours have swirled about Yang’s supposed family connections and some Chinese Australians have expressed dismay that her alleged actions might impact upon how the community is perceived.
‘I just hope she doesn’t tarnish the image of us permanent residents in Australia,’ one Chinese-born student told the Daily Mail.
‘I simply feel compassion for the [alleged] victim of the incident.’
After the crash it was reported Mr Plassaras would need his right hip and right knee replaced as well extensive rehabilitation which could go on for years.
A fellow hire car driver who has been in contact with Mr Plassaras told the Daily Mail: ‘He’s never going to be able to work again.’
Another industry figure who has spoken to Mr Plassaras confirmed his employment prospects appeared bleak.
‘He has lost his livelihood,’ they said. ‘His whole world has changed completely and he’s on his own. He’s got no one.
Mr Plassaras, who declined to comment on his circumstances based on legal advice, had just started work when his van was allegedly struck by one of Yang’s two Rolls-Royces
Mr Plassaras was walking slowly with the aid of a cane as he picked up clothes from a local dry cleaner. The other chauffeur later took two cooler bags from Mr Plassaras’s home (above)
‘He said, “I don’t think I’ll ever be able to work again”. And if he does, he says it would not be for a very long time.’
While Mr Plassaras continues his slow road to recovery, Yang has made no statement about the crash or publicly expressed concern for his welfare.
Daily Mail has been told by associates of Mr Plassaras they are unaware of the mysterious Yang making any attempt to contact him.
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 back-up, lesser charge of dangerous driving causing grievous bodily harm and is also accused of not giving her particulars to police and refusing or failing to submit to breath analysis.
Yang, who is yet to appear in person in court, has not entered pleas to the charges.
Last Friday, barrister John Korn told Downing Centre Local Court that Yang’s parents had sent her to Australia at attend school when she was 14 and she was now a permanent resident.
Mr Korn said the university student had rarely returned to China, suffered ‘considerable’ mental health issues and ‘hardly leaves her home’.
After the crash it was reported Mr Plassaras would need his right hip and right knee replaced as well extensive rehabilitation which could go on for years
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
When Yang’s case was first listed on August 15, scores of onlookers queued outside Downing Centre Local Court to get a glimpse of the young woman.
She disappointed the curious crowd by not coming to court and instead appeared via audio-visual link from her solicitor’s office.
Mr Plassaras has not spoken to the media since an interview with Sandilands on July 30.
‘I’ve got no right hip,’ he said. ‘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.’
Sandilands has previously described Mr Plassaras as the ‘greatest employee ever’.
‘What did [he] say when he was taken away in the ambulance?’ he told his Kyle and Jackie O Show audience the day after the crash.
‘He asked for his mobile phone so he could do what?’
Mr Plassaras had just started work when his van was allegedly struck by Yang’s Rolls-Royce on New South Head Road, Rose Bay, on July 26 about 3.20am (above)
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
‘This is a guy at 4.30 in the morning after he has been cut out of his vehicle, he’s been trapped in his van for an hour, this poor bloke.
‘And he asks the ambo: “Get my phone so I can make sure Kyle’s all right for the week.”‘
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’ 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 October 17.
