LanLan Yang faces fifth charge in Rose Bay crash that injured chauffeur
The 23-year-old Chinese heiress has been charged with negligent driving in connection with the Rose Bay collision that left a chauffeur with serious injuries as prosecutors add new counts.
Sydney — LanLan Yang, a 23-year-old Chinese heiress living in Sydney, has been hit with a fifth criminal charge in relation to a July collision that severely injured a chauffeur driving a van. Police on Tuesday notified the new charge of negligent driving occasioning grievous bodily harm as the case moves through Downing Centre Local Court.
The crash occurred in the early hours of July 26 in Rose Bay, when Yang was behind the wheel of a Tiffany blue Rolls-Royce Cullinan that authorities say collided with a Mercedes van driven by George Plassaras. Plassaras, 52, who regularly ferries radio host Kyle Sandilands around Sydney, suffered life-changing injuries, including a broken spine, multiple broken hips and legs, a torn abdomen and a ruptured spleen. He was hospitalized with serious injuries and, according to reports cited by the Daily Mail, may never work again. CCTV and witnesses have described a high-impact crash that left the Lamborghini-like vehicle and the van mangled in the early hours of the morning.
Yang is on bail and remains under conditions that prohibit her from driving, require her to surrender her passport, and constrain her movements. Court records show she appeared by video link from her lawyer’s office when the case was first mentioned in August, and she has not yet offered pleas because police indicated additional charges would be filed. Bail conditions require her to stay in her Watson’s Bay penthouse from 8 pm to 6 am and to report to police three times a week. She is due back in court on Friday.
The timeline of charges has unfolded in public view. On August 15, Yang was charged with causing bodily harm by misconduct and with refusing or failing to submit to a breath test. Four days later, she faced a second count of dangerous driving occasioning grievous bodily harm and a related charge of not giving particulars to police. The most recent development, disclosed on September 23, is the fifth count that prosecutors allege negligent driving occasioning grievous bodily harm connected to the same collision that left Plassaras seriously injured.
Supporters and observers gathered at Sydney’s Downing Centre Local Court during earlier hearings, many drawn by the high-profile nature of the case and Yang’s publicized wealth. The defendant, who has attracted attention for her designer wardrobe and for living in a high-profile harborside address, has not commented publicly about the crash or its victims. The court appearance on the first date drew long lines and a crowd that reflected a broader interest among Chinese Australians in the case, as well as speculation online about Yang’s background and source of wealth. The Daily Mail reported that Yang kept a second Rolls-Royce in the car park of her luxury apartment, a detail that has fed intrigue but has not been independently verified by authorities.
Yang’s apartment is registered under a shell company not controlled by her or any relative, and investigators have not released a definitive account of her wealth. Analysts and commentators have noted that the case has captured attention beyond Australia’s borders, with social media chatter and traditional media outlets in China examining her background, though substantial portions of online speculation remain unverified.
The crash remains under police investigation as prosecutors pursue the added charges. CCTV footage and witness statements have been reviewed by authorities, and Plassaras remains hospitalized with injuries described as life-altering. Those involved have emphasized the importance of due process as the legal process continues in the coming weeks. Officials have reiterated that the case does not imply any presumption of guilt and that the court will determine liability and penalties based on the evidence presented.
As the case advances, Yang’s legal team contends with the practical realities of a high-profile criminal proceeding in which multiple counts are linked to a single incident. The next hearing will determine how the case proceeds, including any further evidentiary motions or pleas. In the interim, the public and media will continue to monitor developments in what has become one of the most closely watched injury-and-driving cases in Sydney in recent years.