The devastating damage caused by dangerous drivers has been laid bare as the family of a young London mother tell how their lives were “completely shattered” when she died in a hit-and-run crash.
Gao Gao, a 36-year-old mother of two and “consummate” professional fundraiser who has raised millions for dementia research, suffered multiple traumatic injuries when she was hit by a driver traveling almost 50mph on a residential street in Hackney at 20mph. I went home by bike.
Her one-year-old daughter, who was still breastfeeding at the time, still went to her front door every day begging for “Mama” to come home, according to victim impact statements read in court.
His four-year-old son is too scared to continue cycling to school and has asked his father, freelance photographer Luke Walker, to stop cycling in case he dies too.
Last week the Standard revealed that the number of hit-and-run collisions in London had reached a record high of more than 7,700 in the last year. An inquiry at the City Hall this week will ask the Met police why more is not being done to tackle the growing “epidemic” of lawlessness on the capital’s roads.
Full details of the horror of Gao Gao’s death and its impact on his family were revealed at Snaresbrook Crown Court last Friday.
CCTV footage recorded in court showed how driver Martin Reilly, 29, lost control of his uninsured Nissan Note car in the wet, causing the vehicle to overturn and crash into Gao Gao on Whiston Road at around 6.40pm last September 21. year.
Before the crash, he had driven the wrong way on a one-way street, ran a red light and crossed to the wrong side of the road, overtaking two cars and then immediately hitting Gao Gao, who was wearing bright clothes. There was a flashing light on the front of his bike.
Reilly, who had 20 previous convictions and was released on police bail at the time, escaped from the overturned vehicle with his father, James Reilly, who was a passenger in the car.
Chinese British national Gao Gao was fatally injured less than 20 meters from the overturned car but Reilly insisted he did not see him. Whiston Road near Haggerston park is notorious for speeding.
The entire incident, including Reilly and his father fleeing the scene through housing estates, was captured on Hackney council security cameras. Reilly surrendered to police two days later.
He pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving and faces a 12-year prison sentence, but that sentence will be reduced by 25 percent because of his guilty plea.
Prosecutor Anna Dutka told the court the car’s speed was estimated at 46 mph and was in the range of 43 to 49 mph.
Victim impact statements read by Mr Walker and Gao Gao’s sister Ella spoke of the “intense shock and despair” caused by the death.
They described Gao Gao as “an extraordinary and dedicated mother.” Mr Walker said of his wife: “She was their everything, their joy, their warmth, their security.”
The children faced “an immeasurable and immeasurable void in their lives” and were showing signs of “emotional abandonment.”
Mr Walker said: “Children will now grow up without a mother and will carry the pain and trauma of this for life. They have few, if any, memories of their mother to hold on to.
“Every day since Gao Gao died, her daughter stands at the front door saying ‘Mom’ and hoping the next person to walk through the door is her mother.
“How can you adequately explain to a four-and-a-half-year-old child that their mother died because of the negligent and dangerous behavior of a stranger, and when they grow up, this man is dead? Did they then run away, leaving their mothers to die on the street?
Mr Walker had to leave work to look after his children. Her sister-in-law plans to move from Beijing to London with her family to help out.
Gao Gao’s parents couldn’t get to London from China in time and had to say goodbye to their daughter “via a pixelated video call.” Ella said: “There is a Chinese saying that says white hair should never bury black hair.”
She paid tribute to her sister’s “charisma, grace, wit and intelligence.” Ella said Gao Gao worked in fundraising for Oxford University, UCL and later the London School of Economics, and “worked tirelessly to raise millions of pounds to ensure life-changing research in areas such as Alzheimer’s and dementia could be funded.”
“At his funeral, his former boss described him as ‘one of the finest fundraisers and advancement professionals any of us will ever meet.'”
Judge Caroline English said: “May I thank Gao Gao’s husband and sister for their bravery. I understand that it takes great courage to read the statements in person.
The case was postponed until next month for sentencing.