The devastating harm caused by dangerous drivers has been laid bare as the family of a young London mother told how their lives had been “completely torn apart” by her death in a hit-and-run crash.
Gao Gao, a 36-year-old mother of two and “brilliant” professional fundraiser raising millions for research into dementia, suffered extensive multiple traumatic injuries when she was hit by a driver speeding at almost 50mph in a 20mph residential street in Hackney as she cycled home.
Her one year old daughter, who was still being breastfed at the time, still goes to her front door daily to plead for her “Mama” to come home, according to victim impact statements read in court.
Her son, four, is too frightened to continue cycling to school and asked his father, freelance photographer Luke Walker, to stop cycling in case he too is killed.
Last week the Standard revealed the number of hit-and-run collisions had hit a record high in London, with more than 7,700 in the most recent year. A City Hall investigation this week will ask the Met police why more is not being done to tackle a growing “epidemic” of lawlessness on the capital’s roads.
Full details of the horror of Gao Gao’s death, and the impact it has had on her family, emerged at Snaresbrook Crown Court last Friday.
CCTV played in court showed how the driver, Martin Reilly, 29, lost control of his uninsured Nissan Note car in wet conditions, causing it to overturn and sending it barrelling head-on into Gao Gao in Whiston Road around 6.40pm on September 21 last year.
Prior to the collision, he had driven the wrong way up a one-way street, driven through a red light and had crossed to the wrong side of the road to overtake two cars immediately before crashing into Gao Gao, who was wearing bright clothing and had a flashing light on the front of her bike.
Reilly, who had 20 previous convictions and was on police bail at the time, fled the overturned vehicle with his father, James Reilly, who was a passenger in the car.
Gao Gao, a Chinese British national, was lying fatally wounded less than 20ft from the overturned car but Reilly insisted he did not see her. Whiston Road, near Haggerston park, is notorious for speeding.
The entire incident – including Reilly and his father fleeing the scene through housing estates - was caught on Hackney council CCTV. Reilly handed himself in to police two days later.
He has pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving and is facing a 12-year prison sentence, though this will be reduced by 25 per cent because of his guilty plea.
Anna Dutka, prosecuting, told the court that the car’s speed was estimated at 46mph, with a range of 43mph to 49mph.
Victim impact statements read by Mr Walker and Gao Gao’s sister Ella spoke of “intense shock and despair” caused by the death.
They described Gao Gao as an “extraordinary and dedicated mother”. Mr Walker said of his wife: “She was everything to them, she was their joy, their warmth, their security.”
The children had been left with an “immeasurable and unquantifiable void in their lives” and were showing signs of “emotional abandonment”.
Mr Walker said: “The children will now grow up motherless, carrying the pain and trauma of that for a lifetime. Having very few, if any, memories of their mother to cling to.
“Every day since Gao Gao died, her daughter has stood by the front door saying ‘Mama’ and hoping that the next person to walk through the door will be her mummy.
“How do you ever adequately explain to a four and one-and-a-half year old that their mummy died due to the negligent and dangerous actions of stranger, and how do you ever adequately explain to them when they are older that this man then ran off leaving their mummy to die in the street?”
Mr Walker has had to quit work to care for his children. His sister-in-law plans to relocate from Beijing to London with her family to help.
Gao Gao’s parents were unable to get from China to London in time and had to say goodbye to their daughter “via a pixelated video call”. Ella said: “There is a Chinese saying that white hair should never bury black hair.”
She paid tribute to her elder sister’s “charisma, elegance, intelligence and wit”. Gao Gao worked in fundraising for Oxford university, UCL and latterly the London School of Economics, “working tirelessly to raise millions of pounds to ensure that life-changing research into areas including Alzheimer’s and dementia could be funded”, Ella said.
“At her funeral, her former boss described her as ‘one of the best fundraisers and advancement professionals any of us will ever meet’.”
Judge Caroline English said: “Can I thank Gao Gao’s husband and sister for their courage. I understand it takes immense courage to read the statements out in person.”
The case was adjourned until next month for sentencing.
