A mom and daughter burned to loss of life on their approach to faculty after a van driver excessive on cocaine crashed into them whereas he utilizing TikTok, a court docket has heard.
Luke Flanagan, 28, hit 55-year-old Emma van der Avoird’s Peugeot 2008 as she was taking her daughter Khiana, 16, to high school at round 8am on 1 November 2021, earlier than it burst into flames.
Flanagan had not been taking note of the highway whereas driving his Ford Transit when Mrs van der Avoird’s automotive slowed down in entrance of him close to Renhold in Bedfordshire.
He pleaded responsible to 2 counts of inflicting loss of life by harmful driving and was sentenced at Luton Crown Court on Monday to 5 years and 7 months in jail.
The court docket heard Flanagan sustained facial burns after he tried to assist the victims within the automotive, which had been pushed beneath a heavy items car.
A drug driving check discovered he was 3 times the authorized restrict for cocaine, whereas his cellphone knowledge confirmed he had been utilizing TikTok.
During a police interview, Flanagan mentioned he had not seen the Peugeot cease as he had taken his focus away from the highway when one thing had fallen to the ground of his van.
He additionally claimed the cellphone was on his dashboard getting used to stream music.
In a sufferer affect assertion learn out in court docket, a member of the family mentioned: “My sister Emma and her daughter Khiana had been inseparable as a pair.
“Emma was my older sister whom I grew up with. We always dropped into our old way of being when together and we chattered away whenever we met or spoke on the phone; time just running away.
“I actually solely ever had that sort of relationship with Emma, and I can not let you know simply how exhausting it’s not to have her or the prospect to talk or see her once more.
“The impact of Emma and Khiana’s deaths was made considerably worse by the manner of their deaths. They were just on their way to school like normal, stationary in traffic. I honestly will never come to terms with this or the fact their lives ended so needlessly.
“I perceive Mr Flannagan did attempt to get them out and sustained burns himself and I thank him for that however that’s nothing in contrast the affect his actions have had on me and my wider household.
“I hope that he can find a way to live with what he has done because I know how hard it continues to be for me.”
Detective Sergeant Ben Heath from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Serious Collision Investigation Unit, mentioned: “First and foremost my thoughts are with Emma and Khiana’s family and their terrible loss.
“This was a particularly unhappy incident that would have been averted, had Flanagan been taking note of the highway.”
Flanagan has additionally been disqualified from driving for 4 years and 9 months.
Source: information.sky.com”