Boy admits killing girl with motorcycle

A TEENAGER has pleaded guilty to causing the death of a sevenyear-old girl who was hit by a motorcycle as she was riding her scooter.

Katniss Seleznev died in hospital hours after suffering severe injuries when she was hit by a blue Suzuki motorbike that failed to stop in Turnstone Road, Walsall, on the evening of July 27 last year.

A 15-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, admitted causing death by dangerous driving when he appeared at Wolverhampton Magistrates’ Court’s youth court. Prosecutor Simon Brownsey told the court the motorbike involved in the collision had been reported stolen the month before Katniss was killed and was later found burned in scrubland. He said a number of children were playing in the quiet side street when the crash happened. He said: “CCTV shows the children came around the corner on their scooters, with Katniss at the back. When you look at the footage, what she didn’t realise is that she had only seconds to live.” The moment of impact was not caught on camera, but Mr Brownsey said Katniss could be seen “flying through the air” and landing on the tarmac, where another small child tried to help pull her to the side of the road. Two adult witnesses saw the motorbike driving down the road “at speed” before the collision, with one woman saying to her partner: “Bloody hell, the children are playing down there.” The court heard the couple then saw the crash happen behind them, and they stopped to call 999 and help given Katniss CPR. The boy on the bike did not stop at the scene, instead driving to a nearby road where a number of other youths were. He was heard remarking on CCTV footage: “She’s a vegetable.”

“His body language suggested he was distraught and upset,” Mr Brownsey said. The boy will appear at Wolverhampton Crown Court on May 22 for sentencing.