Parents of a nine-year-old girl killed by a bus driver who was on drugs relive terrible moment she died in their hands
The parents of a nine-year-old girl killed by a bus driver who was high on drugs have relived the terrible moment she died in their hands.
Nevgül and Bora Bicakci said their grief is still 'immense' almost 12 months on from the tragic death of their daughter Ada Bicakci.
She died after she was hit by a double-decker bus on Watling Street in Bexleyheath, southeast London, at 9am on Saturday, August 3 last year.
The driver, Martin Asolo-Agogua, was jailed for four years earlier this month after admitting causing death by dangerous driving and driving whilst unfit through drugs.
He fell asleep and failed a drug test at the scene because he had taken cannabis the night before.
Asolo-Agogua, 23, had only been driving TfL buses for less than a year but his short spell behind the wheel had already racked up numerous complaints - including occasions when he damaged the bus by hitting stationary vehicles or bus stops.
He was driving the bus 'erratically' from the bus garage to the start of its route, prosecutor Charlotte Hole told a prior hearing.
One driver in a car behind said the bus was unnecessarily swerving onto the opposite side of the road, whilst another driver said Asolo-Agogua's driving caused him to blurt out 'what is he doing'.
Footage from inside the bus showed him yawning, his eyes closing, his head nodding, and the bus swerving onto the pavement.
Ada had been cycling on the pavement on her way to her 'much loved' gymnastics class, alongside her five-year-old brother, who was on a scooter, and her dad who was also on a bike.
Almost a year later, the horrific moment of the crash is still seared into Bora's mind.
He said: 'The sound of the tyres hitting the curb. Looking back and seeing Ada's body bouncing between the bus and the wall.
'Holding her in my lap. Her broken lungs struggling for every breath. Her eyes fading. Her brother behind me, shocked by fear.
'The bus drifting away. People stopping by to help. Sam stepping in. Hope and then sadness.'
Ada, a Turkish and British national, was rushed to hospital where she died two days later.
Nevgül described her daughter as a beautiful child with a kind heart - just weeks before she was killed she donated her hair to the Little Princess Trust saying 'everyone should have hair'.
She said: 'I lost my angel. My Smile. Flutter of my heart. My closest friend. The most beautiful days of my life are the mother and daughter days I spent with Ada.'
A court heard that Asolo-Agogua got his driving licence in January 2023 and became a bus driver a year later.
He was briefly suspended following an incident in May when he stopped too abruptly, causing a child passenger to fall on the floor.
However, he was given 'the benefit of the doubt' and his suspension was lifted a short time later.
After being convicted for the death by dangerous driving offence, Asolo-Agogua was also disqualified from driving for seven years.
Bora said: 'The images of that horrific moment remain seared into my mind. That scene replays endlessly, a constant reminder of the day my world fractured beyond repair.
'This tragedy happened on my watch, a father's ultimate failure. My world has been turned upside down, and with it, the foundations of my family have crumbled.
'My darling Ada. Our thanks are not enough to show our gratitude for you. We will honour your name with acts of magnitude. You will never be forgotten.
'We will make this story one of love and thanks that we owe everybody. Your presence, and passing, will leave a mark in this country and we will fight to make drug driving a part of its history.'
Mr and Mrs Bicakci said while the driver's criminal case is behind them, they believe that the sentence is 'unduly lenient'.
They say they now want to turn the tragedy into a 'meaningful' change.
The family plans to launch a campaign in order to honour Ada's name but to also 'fight a safer future' for pedestrians on the road.
They said: 'This senseless act, rooted in driver negligence and systemic failures, ignited our unyielding fight to ensure a safer future for all.
'Beyond honouring Ada's name, we intend to pursue meaningful change from TfL and the government as well as our community to ensure a safer future for all.
'Our voice resonates with other victims as well as other bus drivers who want to avoid similar future pain.'
In a statement previously read by Bora in court, he called for a systemic change to stop further road deaths.
Bora said: 'We seek not just justice for our daughter but a safer future for everyone.'
He said knowing that similar incidents lie around the corner causes him as much pain as losing his daughter.
'We hope road death becomes history,' he added.
Following her death, Ada's organs were donated to help six other children which was a 'testament to her giving spirit', the parents added.
They said: 'We were deeply honoured to receive an Order of St John's Award recognising Ada's organ donation.
'Brake, Roadpeace and the Sarah Hope Line are also supporting us as we move forward.'
Reflecting on the past year, the family have thanked the individuals who have been 'holding them together' during their 'darkest hours'.
They said: 'The police, LFB, London Air Ambulance and the NHS provided compassionate care.
'Our community, all the schools Ada has attended and our family circles have been an incredible scaffold of love as well as financial support for us.
'We thank all members of the press, with special thanks to our local News Shopper journalists and their team for their unwavering attention and support, helping us feel heard.
'We now invite all media and community organisations to amplify our call. Follow Ada's Heartbeat.'
The family plans to hold an event at the scene of where Ada was killed, marking the year of the fatal incident.
They said: 'We want to meet everyone. We are preparing to share further facts about the larger picture and visuals from the incident itself to share on August 3, 2025.
'We're still trying to obtain permission to meet at the place where the incident happened, however, this is not certain. But we will hold an event update everyone through our social media pages once we hear back.'
Following the tragedy, a GoFundMe page was launched to provide support to the police and ambulance service who had helped the nine-year-old, with more than £18,000 accumulated in donations.
After the sentencing of Asolo-Agogua, Detective Sergeant Sam Miles, who led the investigation, said: 'He will have to spend the rest of his life regretting the night he chose to stay awake before getting behind the wheel of a bus with cannabis in his system.
'It's a night that has cost him his freedom and snatched away the life of an innocent little girl.
'Ada had her whole life ahead of her.
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