A drunk driver who crashed into a woman’s rickshaw and killed her while she was out celebrating her birthday has been sentenced to almost 10 years in prison.
On July 10 of this year, Luis Balcazar Soto, 24, struck Sophie Strickland’s pedicab in a bus lane while traveling up to 56 mph in a 30 mph zone on Southwark’s New Kent Road.
After sustaining serious head and neck injuries, Ms. Strickland, 31, of Hay-on-Wye, Hereford, who was in London with friends, was declared dead at the scene at 4.30 am.
Soto, a resident of Southwark, was given a total term of nine years and nine months today for causing a fatal accident and severe injuries while driving recklessly.
He had already violated a suspended sentence as well as a restraining order at the time.
Tanzir Ahmed, a rickshaw driver, was transported to King’s College Hospital with fractures to his right arm, leg, and cranium. He then had a blood clot in his lung.
After the incident, Soto fled, but witnesses pursued and eventually caught up with him.
Witnesses observed “a silver vehicle traveling at 60 mph crash into bollards and land outside the Tesco Express on New Kent Road,” the prosecutor Fiona Robertson told Southwark Crown Court.
It struck the rickshaw and twisted around, she said. There was no indication that the driver braked or attempted to avoid the collision.
Soto struck the rickshaw while traveling between 45 and 56 mph, according to police investigations.
The prosecution claimed that the defendant was aware that Ms. Strickland had suffered a catastrophic injury.
He made no move to help Mr. Ahmed or Ms. Strickland, according to the report. The fact that people had to go after him to stop them from leaving is quite instructive.
Soto threatened to punch a witness when confronted by bystanders and said: “Let me go or I’ll fist you up.”
As he begged them to let him go, Soto even made a financial offer to a bystander. He had double the permitted alcohol intake.
The prosecutor said, “He was sweating and his eyes were bloodshot.”
He cried hysterically and said, “I can’t believe I murdered her” and “I’m so sorry” when Ms. Strickland was mentioned.
In an impact statement, Sophie’s mother Glynis lamented the loss of “the most beautiful thing in my life.”
“Never seeing her again is killing me,” Ms. Strickland said. I can’t think of a bigger suffering in my life than becoming a mother. My life was shattered in a matter of seconds by this sweet and devoted woman.
The three brothers of Sophie, who worked as a material and resource planner at PCI Pharma Services, also gave impact statements to the court.
“The shock of Sophie’s abrupt and ultimately needless death has left us numb,” David Strickland said in court.
The fact that we must deal with the effects of this careless, greedy, and stupid conduct fills us all with dread, he said.
“We must accept the possibility that we may never see her again. Never make jokes or laugh with her.
She was a kind, compassionate, and sensitive young person.
The memories will torment Sophie for the rest of her life, according to Jade Redford, a friend who was there when she passed away.
I remember hoping for the ambulance to come, but it was too late, the woman said. I can still see myself petting her hair and telling her how much I loved her.
Another acquaintance, Lucy Smith, recalled feeling uneasy when going down the street due to her dread of oncoming traffic.
Ms. Robertson attempted to explain Soto’s behavior that evening by stating: “There must have been some kind of preoccupation that prevented him from seeing ahead of him.”
He exhibited little concern for the safety of vulnerable road users, as shown by his usage of the bus lane.
He “made a conscious choice to disrespect, or [exhibited] a] blatant contempt for, the rules.”
Ms. Strickland suffered severe injuries, according to Judge Deborah Taylor. Mr. Ahmed was severely hurt after being tossed farther down the street.
“You didn’t try to help the wounded; you were just thinking about yourself.” You mentioned evacuating the area.
“I have heard the very poignant victim impact statements from Ms. Strickland’s family and friends. They all convey the great suffering and profound loss brought on by your reckless driving.
Sophie Strickland, who was 31 years old and in the prime of her life, was a well loved young lady. She traveled to London to celebrate a birthday, but because of your egotistical behavior, she was unable to return home.
You sought to flee because you realized how severe the offenses were and what you had done, in my opinion, even though the whole picture was evident to you.
Soto was instructed to lie in the court record on allegations that he caused a fatality while operating a vehicle dangerously while unlicensed and uninsured.