Driver who killed young cousins in road crash jailed for four years

A MAN who mowed down and killed two young cousins in a hitand-run on New Year’s Eve has been jailed for four years.

Gabor Hegedus, 39, was doing 40mph in a 30mph zone moments before he ploughed into Helina Kotlarova, 12, and Zaneta Krokova, 11, who were heading home for a New Year party with family, Minshull Street Crown Court in Manchester heard.

Hegedus, who has convictions in his native Hungary, including robbery, motoring and dishonesty offences, braked and swerved but hit the girls at “no less” than 29mph.

Helina was thrown into the opposite carriageway and hit by a vehicle coming the other way, while Zaneta was thrown more than 65ft by the impact, both suffering massive injuries after the crash at 7.10pm on December 31 2016 in Ashton Road in Oldham, Greater Manchester.

The court heard that, instead of stopping, Hegedus, who had no licence, sped off and, with the help of others, later dumped the Peugeot car and reported it stolen.

Both girls had moved to the UK from their native Czech Republic and their mothers gave emotional statements via an interpreter to the court before Hegedus was sentenced.

Some members of the family left court as CCTV of the crash was shown.

Sylva Kotlarova, Helina’s mother, said her eight other children were heartbroken.

The court heard that, after CCTV analysis, Hegedus was charged with careless rather than dangerous driving. His sight of the girls had been partially obscured by them crossing the road behind a van coming the other way.

He had sight of them for just two seconds and only half a second to react, the court heard.

Nicola Gatto, mitigating, said Hegedus was “truly sorry”.

Hegedus later admitted two counts of causing death by careless driving and one count of perverting the course of justice and was jailed for four years and banned from driving for five years.

David Orsos, 19, and Zoltan Peto, 49, both pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice by helping Gabor to dump the van and report it stolen. Orsos was jailed for 20 months and Peto for 25 months.

Janos Kalanyos, 50, was jailed for 21 months for the same offence after providing a false alibi to police for Hegedus.