Two men driving at breakneck speed jailed for mowing down and killing boy, 8, crossing the road
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND: A speeding driver and his colleague have reportedly been jailed for causing a horrific car crash that killed an eight-year-old boy. Safiullah Asif was mowed down by a speeding BMW on a residential street in Ashton-under-Lyne on July 23, 2020, when he was attempting to cross the road while playing with his brother and cousin.
The young boy was found unresponsive at the scene and was rushed to the A&E department at Manchester Royal Infirmary, where he succumbed to his injuries the following evening on July 24. Now, it has been determined that the car was being driven by 36-year-old Kevin Jones. He was accompanied by his work colleague, 25-year-old Thomas McGrath, who had been in front of Jones’ vehicle in his VW Polo and missed Asif "by chance," per the Daily Mail.
READ MORE
Safiullah Asif was sent 'flying through the air'
The pair have been sentenced to four years and eight months in prison for causing death by dangerous driving. Appearing before Bolton Crown Court on Thursday, February 23, they were told that they would also be disqualified from driving for five years upon their release. During the hearing, the court heard that Asif was sent "flying through the air" and sustained traumatic brain bleeding and fractures following the crash.
Witnesses described the two cars traveling very fast down the street, with one thinking they were treating the road as a "race track." A local reportedly said that he even shouted at one of the drivers to slow down after he drove at breakneck speed through the bend and kept driving too close to each other. The same witness described seeing a young boy lying "motionless on the road" after hearing a loud bang. Authorities determined that Jones was driving without insurance, on an expired provisional driving license.
We have lost Saffiullah
Jones was reportedly going at a speed of 50mph in a 20mph zone while McGrath was driving at an average speed of between 42 and 48mph. Reflecting on the report, PC Adam Scott of the Specialist Operations Roads Policing Serious Collision Investigation Unit said, "First of all, our thoughts remain with the family of Saffiullah Latif Asif, who grieve and miss their son every single day. We are pleased with today’s result, and we hope that this goes some way to help Saffiullah’s family, knowing that both Jones and McGrath are off the streets and cannot hurt anyone else."
As per The Sun, Asif's heartbroken father said, “Myself, my wife and our whole family are very grateful to the police and the Prosecution Service, who have worked hard to get this case to court, and for all the support we have received from our Family Liaison Officer," adding, “I want to thank the witnesses who came forward and the community for being a great support. I am content with the sentencing today. We have lost Saffiullah and he will never come back but I am pleased that we have finally got some justice."
