Man jailed for four years for dangerous driving death of nine year old boy

A man has been jailed following a collision which killed a nine year old Blackburn boy 

Atif Dayaji , 27, of St Stephens Avenue, Blackburn, was sentenced to four years in prison for causing the death of Adam Imfal-Limbada by dangerous driving.

He was also disqualified from driving for five years.

The collision occurred at around 10.55pm on August 4^, 2016 at the junction of Whalley New Road and Plane Street, as nine-year-old Adam made his way home from Mosque with his father.

The pair had become briefly separated from each other as they walked home, and Adam was crossing the road alone when he was struck.

Dayaji had been speeding along Whalley New Road in a BMW 4 Series he had rented earlier that afternoon, reaching speeds of almost 70mph.

Adam was taken to Royal Blackburn Hospital with catastrophic injuries, but was sadly pronounced dead a short time later.

Dayaji pleaded guilty last month to causing death by dangerous driving.

Councillor Arshid Mahmood, Executive Member responsible for Prevention at Blackburn with Darwen Council, said:

This is a tragic example of how a disregard for the safe and sensible use of our roads can lead to disaster. This was a high powered vehicle hired for a wedding by a young person who has gone from a life of opportunity to a life in prison and who has left a family with a void they will never be able to fill.

The use of such vehicles as a form of entertainment on public roads needs to stop. We alongside our colleagues in the Police urge people to think twice before hiring such vehicles for weddings and other celebrations to avoid the temptation to drive them irresponsibly.

We will continue to take a tough stance to promote more responsible behaviour and are appealing to all drivers to think about their actions and there consequences which may live with them for the rest of their lives. Our sincere condolences go out to Adam’s family.”

Sergeant John Jennings-Wharton, of the Lancashire Roads Policing Unit, said:

The death of nine-year-old Adam Imfal-Limbada is an utter tragedy, not least because it was completely avoidable. Had Dayaji been driving carefully and to the speed limit Adam would almost certainly have made it home safely that night. Dayaji now has to spend the rest of his life with a young child’s death on his conscience.

Our sympathies now lie with Adam’s family and friends. They have lost a very much-loved young boy, and I can only hope they take some crumb of comfort from the fact justice has been served and Dayaji is now facing time behind bars.

I also hope the result today acts as a reminder to all motorists to drive carefully and safely. It should send a message that we, at Lancashire Police, will not tolerate dangerous driving and those who put other peoples’ lives at risk in this way will be dealt with robustly and proportionately.”

A new road safety strategy for Blackburn and Darwen aimed to cut deaths and injuries was launched at a partnership event earlier this year.

The event was held at Blackburn Fire Station outlining a multi-agency partnership approach to tackling road safety.

The initiative is part of a wider strategy for Lancashire – the Lancashire Road Safety Partnership.

In light of this the strategy has 3 delivery themes:

Education – Use education as a tool to prevent road accidents.

Enforcement – Police, fire and council taking tough enforcement action.

Engineering – Ensuring our roads are designed to help reduce accidents.

The Road Safety Partnership, which includes representatives from Lancashire Police, Lancashire County Council, Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council, Blackpool Council, Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service, Highways England and the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner, has introduced a number of initiatives to help tackle the issue including average speed cameras in hotspot areas.