Driver who killed four-year-old girl during Eid celebrations when he ploughed into crowd after hitting a car faces years in jail

Daily Mail​

3 days ago

A driver who killed a four-year-old girl after he ploughed into a group of people celebrating Eid has been pictured for the first time.
Careless driver Javonnie Tavener, 23, faces years in jail after he admitted causing the death of little Mayar Yahia in Birmingham in April last year.
Mayah was walking down a pavement with her family when Tavener's Corsa collided with another car and hurtled past a barrier into a group of pedestrians.
The four-year-old tragically died at the roadside, while her mother Sara and their neighbour were left seriously injured.
Tavener was charged with causing death by careless driving, causing death whilst driving uninsured and two counts of causing serious injury by careless driving.
He appeared at Birmingham Crown Court on Wednesday and admitted all charges. He was remanded in custody and will be sentenced at a later date.
Mayar's father Babiker previously said: 'She [Mayah] was an extraordinary young girl, only four years old, full of life and joy, and her absence leaves an irreplaceable void in our lives.
'Among all, she held a special place in my heart. Words fail to capture the depth of our grief and the magnitude of this loss.
'However, we find solace and strength in the unwavering support and compassion shown by the police officers, our community, family and friends.'
Detective Sergeant Paul Hughes, from West Midlands Police, said: 'Mayar was just four years old when her life was tragically taken away from her.
'She was walking back with her family and friends after celebrating Eid.
'Pedestrians should be afforded and be reassured of protection when walking on the pavement and a split-second decision by Tavener to overtake where he did has led to this tragic chain of events.
'I would urge all drivers to think about this incident and how those decisions can have such catastrophic consequences.'
The tragedy shocked the local community and prompted renewed calls for improved road safety measures and tougher enforcement against bad drivers.
The road where Mayar died is now due to be pedestrianised following a campaign led by the family and Better Streets for Birmingham campaigners.
It will prevent traffic from accessing a section of Upper Highgate Street near New Hope Community Park.
A man who witnessed the aftermath of the crash said: 'It's disgusting, something has to be done.
'It's the boy racers coming down here so fast. The poor child. People were speeding past even while they were trying to save her.'
An 87-year-old woman, who chose to not be named, said the roads in the area can be 'frightening'.
She said: 'I've been crossing this road [Upper Highgate Street] for a long time. One time a driver came the wrong way and almost hit me.'
Mohammed Ibrahim, 36, said: 'I live on the 11th floor so when we heard voices, screaming, we came down and found something had happened here.
'It's very sad. We need [speed] bumps in this road. It's very dangerous.'