Girl, 9, died in crash as father ‘drove her like lunatic’ to tutor
A DOCTOR killed his nine-year old daughter in a road smash after driving like a ‘lunatic’ to get her to a private maths lesson on time, a court heard yesterday.
Chizoro Edohasim, 47, was speeding when he jumped a red light, lost control and ploughed into a wall.
Daughter Olivia died at the scene after suffering severe back injuries in the 59mph impact in a 30mph zone. Her sister Eva, 11, was also in the car and needed emergency surgery for serious stomach injuries.
Moments before the crash, Edohasim was seen overtaking two cars on the wrong side of the road, it was alleged.
Another driver had to almost stop to avoid a head-on collision, the crown court was told. Tests showed the doctor’s twoyear-old Toyota Auris was at ‘full throttle’ just three seconds before the crash and the brakes were never applied.
Edohasim, of Altrincham, Greater Manchester, insisted the automatic vehicle’s brakes failed but crash investigators found nothing wrong with the car.
Andrew Nuttall, prosecuting, said: ‘The driver was applying full throttle, demanding maximum power, travelling at speeds of 59mph across the junction and at no time was the brake ever used.
‘It would be obvious to any competent and careful driver that his driving was dangerous and caused this tragedy.
‘This was not momentary dangerous driving. He accelerated to the lights and continued to accelerate through the lights.’
The crash occurred at a busy junction in Altrincham on May 7 last year as Edohasim drove his daughters to their 11am Saturday maths lesson.
Motorist Nicholas Gee saw him overtaking two vehicles and heading straight at him. Mr Gee said: ‘He was going really fast. I thought he might fall back but he sped up. It was crazy. He was acting like a lunatic.’
Trucker Lee Cookson added: ‘He was driving ridiculously fast. I heard a loud bang. It was like a bomb had gone off.’
Olivia was sitting in a booster seat in the back and suffered an unusual spinal injury caused by her seatbelt, which could have been twisted.
Edohasim denies causing death and serious injury by dangerous driving.
The case at Manchester’s Minshull Street Crown Court continues.