Uninsured driver jailed after killing Woolwich man
An uninsured driver has been jailed after he hit and killed a Woolwich man who pulled onto a hard shoulder to clear debris from his car.
Mohammed Ali was 18 at the time of the crash and reportedly driving over 100mph according to several witnesses as he overtook and undertook traffic in Rainham.
He was jailed for five years and seven months and disqualified from driving for 57 and a half months.
Ali was driving a BMW 330D on the A13 when he hit the stationary car of Kenneth Berry, 54, as the BMW moved from lane one to lane three and back to lane one where he lost control. Victim Kenneth Berry, 54, died as he was exiting his vehicle.
The sentence of 5 years and 7 months will again raise questions regarding short custodial sentences for those who kill using cars.
Certainly will Murky and with good reason imho. If I were the close relative of the poor victim I would be outraged. Their lives change forever, this lunatic teen driver drives a lethal weapon into an innocent man and is allowed back on the road still in his twenties, what precedent does that set for other similar drivers? And such a short term for murder, no other word for it and people need to understand that when they use a potentially lethal weapon irresponsibly, its like a loaded gun. In under 3 years he could be out tagged? And a man has lost maybe 30-40 years of life, seeing children raise grandchildren perhaps, seeing his kids graduate and marry, his well earned retirement. so many losses. I feel for this kid’s parents and family too, what a sad scenario. What a mess, what a world that raises kids to do this. Also guilty here are the car manufacturers with their style of advertising, and emphasis on speed being good and cool. The Govt (they’re guilty of much, but this too) with paltry road safety advice on all the media, failure to stop manufacturers encouraging speed. Think they can have a successful ‘clunk click every trip’ campaign decades ago and that’s sufficient for a generation. The quicker they introduce compulsory speed limiters on vehicles based on roads travelling on and road/weather conditions the better, but the motor industry lobbyists are too powerful-at the moment.
I agree with you 100% Derek. How is it that an 18 yr old even gets hold of a car like that? Was it stolen? If not, than the person who allowed this young man to drive, deserves to be locked up too. So much is wrong with todays sale of cars. Dealers should only sell a car when they have seen a drivers picture licence and insurance. The same goes for private sales. Make them more responsible! Where in the world can you drive at the speed these cars are built to go? Certainly not on our roads?
I totally agree with you 100% Derek and D.W.W. I would also raise the age in which you can learn to drive and for a certain amount of years (say 5 years for example) after passing your test you should be limited to cars with 1.0 or 1.12 litre engine.
What is the point of these large engine cars which can do high speeds on our roads than where the maximum speed limit is 70 MPH on a motorway. Like a lot of lorries are now days there speed should be restricted.
The only exception should be for energency service vehicles.
** Emergency Vehicles **
In my opinion, the sentence handed out to this chap does not fit the offence. His careless actions resulted in the death of another. He’d have got a minimum of 10 years, and a driving ban of the same amount when he gets out (a driving ban while he’s inside is no use as he’ll not be driving anyway) if I were the judge. No-one who causes death by driving should drive again. I wonder if he even had a licence. A BMW 330D with its inline-6 cylinder diesel engine is rather quick and most certainly not cheap to insure for an 18 year old, so unless I am wrong, I would guess he did not have insurance either.
I’ve seen far too many examples of drivers constantly lane-switching at speed for nowt – even on the A206 let alone the motorways – and it is very annoying and unsafe. I even caught footage on the dashcam of a pair of idiot drivers racing each other from Achor & Hope Lane , then getting pulled by the police into the car park at the flats near the Woolwich Ferry one night last year.
Something similar to what we currently have with motorcycle licensing is needed to reduce, if not prevent, young muppets getting hold of powerful cars. I wonder whether driving instructors actually teach ‘road sense’ (anticipation, perception etc.) along with all the usual manoeuvres as there appears to be a lot of careless driving by some young people in powerful cars with no sense whatsoever.
I totally agree with you Michael. I also agree with Graham new and young drivers should be limited to smaller engined cars rather than more powerful cars after passing their test.
For far too long we have had no speed cameras, or ANPR nor anyone proactively acting on that information. I am always of the opinion that all speeding offenses the fines and penalties should be doubled. No Courses as an alternative. Having driven 50 years, driving a 1 tonne piece of metal in a dangerous way should be penalised. I have no sympathy for the many drivers who speed, no Insurance, no MOT, no Tax….. i always hear many people winge about 30mph 20mph, if it was their child lying on the road then their attitude would be 100% the opposite