Mother and daughter burned to death after cocaine-using driver watching TikTok crashed into them on school run
A mother and daughter burned to death on their way to school after a van driver high on cocaine crashed into them while he using TikTok, a court has heard.
Luke Flanagan, 28, hit 55-year-old Emma van der Avoird’s Peugeot 2008 as she was taking her daughter Khiana, 16, to school at around 8am on 1 November 2021, before it burst into flames.
Flanagan had not been paying attention to the road while driving his Ford Transit when Mrs van der Avoird’s car slowed down in front of him near Renhold in Bedfordshire.
He pleaded guilty to two counts of causing death by dangerous driving and was sentenced at Luton Crown Court on Monday to five years and seven months in prison.
The court heard Flanagan sustained facial burns after he tried to help the victims in the car, which had been pushed underneath a heavy goods vehicle.
Khiana van der Avoird
A drug driving test found he was three times the legal limit for cocaine, while his phone data showed he had been using TikTok.
During a police interview, Flanagan said he had not seen the Peugeot stop as he had taken his focus away from the road when something had fallen to the floor of his van.
He also claimed the phone was on his dashboard being used to stream music.
Emma van der Avoird
In a victim impact statement read out in court, a family member said: “My sister Emma and her daughter Khiana were inseparable as a pair.
“Emma was my older sister whom I grew up with. We always dropped into our old way of being when together and we chattered away whenever we met or spoke on the phone; time just running away.
“I really only ever had that type of relationship with Emma, and I cannot tell you just how hard it is not to have her or the chance to speak or see her again.
“The impact of Emma and Khiana’s deaths was made considerably worse by the manner of their deaths. They were just on their way to school like normal, stationary in traffic. I honestly will never come to terms with this or the fact their lives ended so needlessly.
“I understand Mr Flannagan did try to get them out and sustained burns himself and I thank him for that but that is nothing compared the impact his actions have had on me and my wider family.
“I hope that he can find a way to live with what he has done because I know how hard it continues to be for me.”
Detective Sergeant Ben Heath from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said: “First and foremost my thoughts are with Emma and Khiana’s family and their terrible loss.
“This was an extremely sad incident that could have been avoided, had Flanagan been paying attention to the road.”
Flanagan has also been disqualified from driving for four years and nine months.
UK
Masked burglars ‘raid’ Windsor Castle grounds ‘while William, Kate and children slept at home on estate’
Masked burglars have stolen farm vehicles from the Windsor Castle estate while members of the Royal Family are believed to have been asleep nearby.
Two men scaled a 6ft fence on the night of 13 October and used a stolen truck to break through a security gate, The Sun first reported.
The pair then fled with a pick-up and a quad bike that were stored in a barn.
The King and Queen were not in residence.
But the Prince and Princess of Wales, along with their three children George, 11, Charlotte, nine, and six-year-old Louis were believed to have been in their home, Adelaide Cottage, on the estate, according to The Sun.
The family moved there in 2022.
In a statement, Thames Valley Police said: “At around 11.45pm on Sunday 13 October, we received a report of burglary at a property on Crown Estate land near to the A308 in Windsor.
“Offenders entered a farm building and made off with a black Isuzu pick-up and a red quad bike. They then made off towards the Old Windsor/Datchet area.
“No arrests have been made at this stage and an investigation is ongoing.”
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On Christmas Day 2021, a man climbed a fence at Windsor Castle armed with a crossbow and claimed he wanted to kill Queen Elizabeth II.
Jaswant Singh Chail was handed a nine-year custodial sentence for treason, possession of an offensive weapon and making threats to kill.
The UK is braced for “disruptive snow” as yellow weather warnings cover large parts of the country until Tuesday – with the Met Office saying there is the “potential” for the alerts to be “escalated”.
The forecaster has warned up to 20cm of snow may accumulate in the worst affected areas as the country experiences its “first taste of winter”.
The Met Office has also told people to expect ice, cold temperatures and wintry showers this week.
Check the forecast in your area
A yellow warning for snow and ice is in place for much of the north of the country – covering areas in the East Midlands, Yorkshire, Wales and the north of England – from 7pm on Monday night to 10am on Tuesday morning.
Those in the impacted areas have been told power cuts are possible and mobile phone coverage might be affected.
The Met Office has said there is a “slight chance” some rural communities could be cut off and that bus and train services may be delayed or cancelled.
People are also warned to be careful not to slip or fall on icy surfaces.
The Met Office has said there will be bright spells across northern and eastern areas throughout today, but rain in the south and west will gradually spread northeastwards and turn to snow over northern hills.
Parts of the UK are experiencing their ‘first taste of winter’, says the Met Office. File pic: PA
Tom Morgan, Met Office meteorologist, said: “We could see some disruptive snow in the Pennine regions, in particular, the Peak District as well, especially Monday night, but we could well see some impacts lasting on until Tuesday morning’s rush hour.
“Even down to lower levels, we could well see some snow as well, so quite a bit of disruption possible by Tuesday morning, and then the week ahead is likely to stay cold nationwide, a windy day on Tuesday, and then winter showers through the week ahead.”
Mr Morgan said that despite a “mild” start to the month, the cold conditions are more typical of “mid-winter to late-winter”.
“What we can say is that it’s going to be very cold for the time of year, there will be widespread overnight frosts, and a few locations where there’s snow on the ground,” he continued.
The yellow weather warnings in place across the UK
Meanwhile, a yellow snow and ice weather warning that came into force at 4pm on Sunday will end at 11am this morning.
The warning covers the northern tip of Scotland and people there have been told there may be icy patches on some untreated roads, pavements and cycle paths.
The Met Office has said there is “potential” for both yellow warnings to be “escalated”.
In southern England, a typical maximum temperature for this time of year is 11C (52F), but daytime highs for the week ahead are forecast to be around 5C (41F), while some parts of Scotland will reach “only just above freezing”, Mr Morgan said.
The meteorologist said the public can best prepare for the wintry weather by checking their cars are suitable for icy and potentially snowy conditions and to take extra supplies including food, blankets and a fully charged mobile phone with them on journeys.
He added there were “likely” to be changes to the weather warnings in the coming days, and that “winter flurries” could be seen in the south of England later in the week.
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Despite the cold conditions, the “whole of the UK” will enjoy more sunshine this week, the meteorologist added.
He said: “There’ll be some snow showers in the peripheries of the UK, particularly northern Scotland, and down the east and the west coast, but if you live inland and you live in the south, there’ll be lots of sparkly blue skies on the most days through Tuesday to Friday.”
It comes as a cold weather alert issued by the UK Health Security Agency, which was introduced at 9am on Sunday, will be in place until 9am on Thursday.
It covers a large area of England, north of Northhampton. The alert is triggered when there is a risk that healthcare services might face extra pressure and is designed to prepare those who are “particularly vulnerable” and “likely to struggle to cope”.
UK
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