Oldbury Road death crash driver admits she could have been 'more careful'
A woman motorist accused of causing the death of a six year old child through dangerous driving allegedly conceded to police the day after the incident: "I could have been a little more careful."
Andjele Vranjes was behind the wheel of her red Ford Fiesta when it struck Jannatul Bakya who was using a traffic light controlled pedestrian crossing on Oldbury Road, Smethwick when tragedy struck at 10.50pm on July 28, 2018.
The young girl, who was going to a nearby mosque with her father and older sister, was thrown 22 metres by the impact and was certified dead at the scene with catastrophic injuries, Mr Robert Price, prosecuting, told Wolverhampton Crown Court.
The 28-year-old defendant stopped momentarily but then left the scene only to return around 15 minutes later when she told police that she had been the driver of the car involved in the fatal crash.
She was on her way home after collecting the Fiesta from the Galton Bridge railway station car park and was familiar with the dual carriageway which she travelled on around five times a week, the court heard.
More from the trial:
Vranjes, who is of good character and holds a clean 10-year-old UK driving licence, said during a police interview the following day that she was doing between 35 and 40mph – within the speed limit.
She claimed the crossing light was showing green to traffic so she continued at the same pace until she saw the child in the road too late and explained: "She looked like a silhouette and I just heard a bang as I drove into her."
The defendant slammed on the brakes and came to a standstill around two or three car lengths beyond the point of impact where she paused for a short time before leaving.
She continued: "It was just a blur. I was so shocked I did not know what to do. I wish I had stopped at the scene but I panicked. I parked up soon after leaving, contacted my partner and said: 'I did something really bad. I think I drove over a child'."
They returned to the scene together where she told police: "I thought the light was green. If it was red I would have braked. I think I should have slowed down. I could have been a little more careful and I can learn from that."
Vranjes, from Beakes Road, Bearwood, denies causing the death of the child by both dangerous driving and the lesser charge of careless driving. The case continues.
