A van driver who killed a university student in a crash on The Strand in central London has been jailed for eight years. Christopher Jackson, 27, pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving and two counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving at the Old Bailey on Friday.
The incident occurred on March 18 last year when Jackson, driving a van, struck an iron gate which hit two pedestrians, then mounted a flower bed and fatally struck Aalia Mahomed, 20. Ms Mahomed, a second-year physics and philosophy student at King's College London, was sitting on a bench in a pedestrianised area. She died at the scene.
Two other people, Irem Yoldas, 28, and Yamin Belmessous, 28, were injured. The court heard that the crash resulted from 'pedal confusion' and unintended acceleration, exacerbated by Jackson's panic. Forensic collision investigators identified unintended acceleration as a main cause.
In a victim impact statement, Ms Mahomed's mother, Samira Shafi, described her as 'the most amazing daughter'. Detective Chief Superintendent Donna Smith of the Metropolitan Police said the incident 'should never have happened' and expressed condolences to the family and other victims.
Jackson, from Southampton, was disqualified from driving for five years and must pass a compulsory retest. He will serve two-thirds of his sentence before being released on licence.
