A man accused of murdering his estranged partner by running her car off the road has died after being found unresponsive in his jail cell.
Troy Armstrong, 36, allegedly ran Kristy Armstrong, 36, off the road on Speedy St at Molong in NSW’s central west region almost a year ago.
He was alleged to have been travelling at 140kph at the time.
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The mother-of-three died at the site of the crash.
Two little girls — aged eight and 13 — were also in the sedan at the time and were taken to hospital with minor injuries.
Armstrong was charged with murder and attempted murder following the crash.
He was also charged with three counts of breaching apprehended violence orders.
Kristy first applied for an AVO against Armstrong in November 2022, about the same time they separated, court documents reveal.
An interim order wasn’t granted until a month before the crash in May 2023.
Armstrong was under 24-hour guard in the intensive care unit at Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney in the months after the crash, which left him with serious brain and spinal injuries.
He was found unresponsive in his cell at the Metropolitan Remand and Reception Centre in Silverwater on Tuesday, a Corrective Services NSW confirmed.
“The inmate was immediately given first aid and taken to hospital but was pronounced deceased,” the spokesperson said.
“As a matter of protocol, Corrective Services NSW and NSW Police investigate all deaths in custody regardless of the circumstances.”
Armstrong was set to appear before a court in July.
Questions had been raised about his fitness and likely longevity in facing trial, with his lawyer telling a hearing in May that Armstrong was barely fit enough to appear via audio-visual link.
“It does take some work to get him in the AVL suite, but he can appear,” lawyer Drew Hamilton told the court.
During an unsuccessful bail application in 2023, Hamilton told the court Armstrong posed little risk to the community as he had part of his skull removed and could no longer walk.
But police prosecutor Carl Smith described Armstrong as “an extremely dangerous person” who left the surviving victims in fear, despite his injuries.
“(They) were terrified before this incident, they’re even more terrified now,” Smith told the earlier hearing.
“He knew driving 140kph into a car of the likelihood that he’d be killing his wife, but (also) anyone else in that motor vehicle.”
Kristy was one of many women remembered at an anti-gendered violence rally in Orange in April.
Her family and friends have attended each court appearance since Armstrong’s arrest, wearing purple in her honour.
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.
-With AAP