Distracted driver jailed over fatal bus stop crash

A speeding driver who hit and killed a pedestrian while she was distracted at the wheel has been jailed for nine years.

Athira Anilkumar Laly Kumari, 28, died after Rumeesa Ahmed's VW Golf crashed into a bus stop in Leeds in 2023.

The 27-year-old had been using her mobile phone moments before the crash on Stanningley Road, West Yorkshire Police said, with a 40-year-old man also left seriously injured.

At Leeds Crown Court, Ahmed, from Bradford, was also given an 11-year driving ban after admitting causing death by dangerous driving and causing serious injury by dangerous driving.

Ahmed, of Princeville Street, was driving towards Bradford at about 08:30 on 22 February when her car struck Ms Kumari, the bus stop and the 40-year-old man near the dual carriageway's junction with Cockshott Lane.

Officers said Ahmed had been speeding and using her mobile phone at the time of the collision.

The injured man, who was waiting for a bus at the time of the crash, required an extensive stay in hospital, the force said.

Ahmed will need to pass a further test before she can obtain a driving licence again.

Paying tribute to Ms Kumari, a mature student, her family said: "She was not just a member of our family - she was our foundation, the glue that held us all together.

"A loving daughter, a devoted wife, a doting mother and a source of light and inspiration to everyone who knew her."

Speaking after Ahmed's sentencing, Det Con Adele Murphy-Hartley, said: "Speeding and using a mobile phone while driving are two of the most common contributory factors to serious injury and fatal road traffic collisions.

"This should be a warning to all of what can happen when these factors come into play."

She continued: "Ahmed's recklessness has resulted in the loss of a determined woman who came to England to better herself and secure a bright future for her and her family."

Ms Kumari's family concluded: "Athira was the heart of our lives - her absence has left a void so deep, so profound, that even words fail to convey the magnitude of our grief."

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