Passengers in fatal crash ‘were twerking in back seat’

A DRIVER travelling at more than twice the speed limit killed her two passengers as they twerked in the back without seat belts on, a court has heard.

Rida Boujetif and Mary Macharia, both 23, were in the back of Adele Ojokie Aidonojie’s convertible Mini Cooper, with the roof down, when it crashed in Battersea at 3.24am on July 16 2022.

Speed analysis conducted by a forensic collision investigator found Ms Aidonojie, 23, was travelling at about 62mph on Latchmere Road, which has a 30mph speed limit.

She denies causing the deaths of the two women and causing serious injury by dangerous driving to Ben Sidibe, the front seat passenger.

Jurors heard Ms Aidonojie had been drinking that night, but passed a breathalyser test two hours after the crash.

Ms Aidonojie allegedly told witnesses not to call the police or an ambulance, and inquired about whether there were cameras on the street, the Old Bailey heard. Sally Mertens, prosecuting, said: “The defendant was driving a convertible Mini Cooper. The roof was down at the time of the collision.

“Two rear-seat passengers had been thrown from the Mini. They had not been wearing seat belts and both suffered catastrophic head injuries and were killed.

“Ben Sidibe was the front-seat passenger and was also taken to hospital with a fractured upper arm.

“They had all been drinking. A forensic collision investigator concluded that the vehicle was travelling at approximately 62 miles per hour. This is more than double the maximum speed for that part of Latchmere Road.”

Ms Mertens said Ms Aidonojie told a witness at the scene: “Don’t call the police or ambulance, I’ll get arrested.”

Ms Aidonojie said there had been a “hit and run”, and asked another witness if the street had cameras, the court heard.

Ms Mertens added: “Ben Sidibe said that on the return journey he was the front-seat passenger,” she said. “He remembers the defendant telling their friends to put their seat belts on, but they just ignored her, and the conversation turned to drinking. Mr Sidibe told police that “Rida and Mary were twerking in the back of the car”.

Ms Aidonoje denies two counts of death by dangerous driving and one count of causing serious injury by dangerous driving.

The trial continues.