(ProsperNews.net) – A father said he has received no justice after a court ruled that a police officer was not at fault for the death of his daughter. The officer was driving a patrol car at 64 mph when he struck and killed 22-year-old Jade Mutua in London in 2019. The collision left the student with a broken back and neck, as well as a severe brain injury, leading to her death days later.
Jermaine Laxmidas, the victim’s father, is campaigning for a speed reduction for emergency service vehicles. He said if the police officer were driving just five mph slower, his daughter could have survived. “I am calling for a limit for police responding to calls. I hope that it will save more lives,” he said.
The tragic incident occurred at around 10 pm in August 2019 when police constable Gary Watkinson responded to reports of a woman being threatened with a knife in the West Kensington area of London. As the patrol car sped to the scene, Ms. Mutua walked onto the road and was struck by the vehicle. Officers stopped and administered emergency aid, but the young woman died two days later in hospital.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), which investigates allegations of police wrongdoing, said Officer Watkinson had “acted in accordance with the relevant policies and procedures.” An inquest at Westminster Coroner Court officially concluded that Mutua had died in a “road traffic accident.”
IOPC director Charmaine Arbouin issued a statement saying, “My thoughts and sympathies are with Ms Mutua’s family, friends, and all those affected by her untimely and tragic death, including the officers involved.”
According to data released in 2020, a rare study carried out between 2014 and 2018 found that 1,699 people died in collisions involving police patrol cars in the US. This includes 882 fleeing drivers, 337 passengers in fleeing vehicles, 21 police officers, and 765 bystanders. A state-by-state analysis revealed that most fatalities occurred in Texas.
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