Zhaoxi Wang: Police releases picture of 1-year-old girl killed by driver who suffered seizure while on cocaine
RUISLIP, HILLINGDON: The police decided to release a photo of the one-year-old girl who died after a driver smashed into her on the pavement. Zhaoxi Wang, 22 months old, and her father Qi Wang were hit by Lee Steven Burford who was driving a Renault Clio in Ruislip. Fondly known as Xi Xi, the one-year-old was flung into the air from her pushchair, and she ended up dying shortly after due to catastrophic injuries. On the other hand, her father, Wang, suffered a fractured arm that required surgery.
Appearing at the Old Bailey, Burford pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving and one count of fraud relating to dishonest representations over an epilepsy diagnosis as he had failed to notify the DVLA of his seizures which occurred as recently as in 2017 and 2020, and for ignoring medical advice not to drive. MyLondon reports that the driver, Burford, 44, who had a history of epileptic seizures, suffered an epileptic fit after taking cocaine. The accused was jailed for four years and two months for causing death, and injury by dangerous driving and fraud, having previously denied one count of manslaughter. Burford was further barred from driving for seven years and one month and was ordered that he must take a re-test to reacquire his license.
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Judge Charles Bourne KC, while handing out the sentence said, "No one who listened to Qi Wang and Sha Zhang's statement can fail to be deeply moved by the devastating effect, the tragic loss that Zhaoxi has had on her parents. They will have to deal with the loss of their child for the rest of their lives. The sentence this court imposes on you today, the man responsible for their indescribable suffering will not alleviate their pain but will go some way to acknowledge the long lasting damage your crimes have inflicted on them and their wider family." Aneurin Brewer, speaking on Burford's behalf, said, "The guilt for what he has done and for what he is responsible for will stalk him every day for the rest of his life."
1-year-old killed by driver high on cocaine
Catherine Pattinson, prosecuting, said, "At the time of the collision, Zhaoxi was strapped into a pushchair. She was facing forwards and they walked along Eastcote Road approaching a minor roundabout in junction with Windmill Hill road which they crossed. As they crossed and moved further into Eastcote Road, Mr Wang was slightly ahead of his wife Sha. Mr Burford, driving the blue Renault Clio, was coming towards them from the opposite direction. He veered across the road, mounted the pavement and struck Mr Wang and the pushchair."
Pattinson continued explaining, "It seems very clear that Mr Burford suffered a form of epileptic seizure at a time before the veering of the vehicle on Eastcote Road. The count of causing death by dangerous driving is pleaded and accepted on the basis that Mr Burford should not have gotten into the car in the first place. Mr Burford was still seated in the driver’s seat in the Renault Clio when he was approached by members of the public and by police officers. He appeared not to have known what had happened, he was confused, he didn’t know how his car appeared so damaged."
In a victim impact statement read aloud by Pattinson, Zhaoxi’s father said, "The loss of our one and only child, a little girl called Xi Xi has been the worst thing that has happened to me and my family. It has been absolutely devastating for us. She was such a joyful spirit, when we had Xi-Xi it was the happiest time of our lives. We were blessed to have such a beautiful child who was taken from us by someone who chose to drive when they shouldn’t have been driving. What I would like to say to the defendant is; you should have stayed away from driving. You will never know how it feels to be in this situation. To be in our shoes. We were trying to be responsible, good citizens, abiding by the law but of course we had no control over other people. You did the opposite."