A tragic incident in which an electric car killed a five-year-old boy was caused by the driver pressing the accelerator instead of the brake, a court has been told. The vehicle was found to be in perfect mechanical condition with no faults that could explain the crash.
The Fatal Incident Near London Bridge
The collision occurred on 25 November 2022 in a car park near London Bridge Station. Ashenafei Demissie, a 53-year-old taxi driver from Southwark, was sitting in his electric Volkswagen ID.4 outside his flat.
Five-year-old Fareed Amir was walking home from primary school with his mother, Maryam Lemulu. They stopped to speak to Demissie's wife, Yodit Samuel, a friend of Ms Lemulu for 13 years. Fareed reportedly called Demissie 'Uncle Ash'.
The prosecution stated that Demissie offered Fareed a treat from inside the car. Immediately afterwards, the Volkswagen suddenly shot forward, striking both Fareed and Demissie's own 12-year-old son, Raphael, before crashing into five parked cars.
Police Investigation Finds No Mechanical Defect
Mark Still, a Senior Forensic Collision Investigator for the Metropolitan Police, provided key evidence to the Old Bailey jury. He explained that his thorough examination of the year-old Volkswagen found it to be fully operational.
"I was unable to make the car accelerate without driver input," Mr Still told the court. He confirmed the vehicle could not be put into gear without a foot on the brake and that the braking system showed no issues.
He addressed the possibility of cruise control involvement, stating it could only accelerate automatically if a driver deliberately set a speed and pressed the accelerator. Crucially, pressing the brake would immediately override the system.
Evidence Points to Pedal Confusion
Mr Still's analysis revealed the car was accelerating at near maximum speed upon impact, with no evidence of braking. He told jurors this was consistent with numerous documented cases of drivers confusing the pedals.
"The driver may put their foot on the accelerator assuming it is the brake," he explained. "The car will start moving but because the driver believes they put their foot on the brake they will push harder trying to make it stop and you will get rapid acceleration."
Despite damage to the front right of Demissie's car, including dents and a torn tyre, investigators found nothing that could have caused unintended movement. "I concluded that the accelerator was pressed," Mr Still stated definitively.
Aftermath and Ongoing Trial
Tragically, Fareed's mother carried him to the nearby Guy's Hospital, where he was pronounced dead from a fractured skull. Raphael spent a month in hospital after breaking both legs.
Ashenafei Demissie has pleaded not guilty to causing death by careless driving and causing serious injury by careless driving. He maintains the electric car moved on its own due to a fault.
The prosecution, led by Michael Williams, and the police expert evidence contradict this claim, asserting the vehicle required direct driver input to move. The trial at the Old Bailey continues.
