Hemel Hempstead man sentenced for causing death by dangerous driving

A man from Hemel Hempstead has been sent to prison after pleading guilty to causing death by dangerous driving.

Ased Ashfaq, aged 38, of Fennycroft Road, Hemel Hempstead, was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment at St Albans Crown Court last Tuesday (8 December).

The court heard how on Wednesday 11 October 2017, Ashfaq was driving a VW Transporter van on the High Street in Northchurch when he struck nine-year-old Kasey-Lee Burch who was crossing the road.

Kasey-Lee suffered a traumatic head injury from which she sadly died on 22 October 2017, less than two weeks after the collision.

The police investigation found that Ashfaq had been entering a post code into a navigation app on his mobile phone at the time of the collision, which resulted in him failing to react to Kasey-Lee crossing the road.

As well as his custodial sentence, Ashfaq was also disqualified from driving for five and a half years, after which he will be required to take an extended re-test.

PC David Burstow, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said: ‘This is an utterly tragic collision which highlights the absolute requirement of every driver to concentrate fully whilst driving.

‘The devastating loss of Kasey-Lee will have a lasting effect on her family and friends and our thoughts remain with them.’