A "loony" driver mowed down an innocent 11-year-old girl who was on the way to the park before shamelessly speeding off.
Ruby Cropper was crossing the road with a friend to play in Coronation Park in Radcliffe, Greater Manchester, when she was catapulted 46 feet along the road by Andrew Cairns.
Cairns, 36, had been weaving in and out of traffic and overtaking on the wrong side of the road before his Suzuki Alto ploughed into young Ruby at a speed estimated to be not less than 44mph.
Manchester Crown Court heard that Cairns, who had previous driving-related convictions, left Ruby dying in the road and sped off, reports Manchester Evening News.
Jamie Baxter, prosecuting, outlined what happened on August 10, 2020 at around 4.30pm.
He said: “Instead of waiting and pulling over, or calling an ambulance or asking for help, the defendant chose to drove away.
“The force of the collision propelled her forwards 14 metres (46 feet) from the point of impact, where she came to rest on the opposite side of the carriageway near to a bus stop.
“Notwithstanding the efforts of decent members of the public, some sat with Ruby as she lay in the road, and efforts of well trained and dedicated ambulance service and medical professionals, she passed away in the early hours of August 12.”
Crash experts concluded that if Cairns had been driving to the 30mph limit, he would not have hit Ruby.
The court heard Ruby's mum and older brother rushed to the scene, which was 100 yards from their family home, to hold her hand as she lay injured.
She was airlifted to hospital and her life support machine was turned off after two days with family at her bedside after doctors concluded her injuries were not survivable.
One eyewitness who had been overtaken by Cairns moments before he crashed into Ruby, said he had been ‘driving like a looney’. Otherssaid they thought Cairns had been ‘driving super fast’ and ‘like he was on a racetrack’.
Cairns, who gave himself up shortly after, admitted causing death by careless driving on August 10, 2020.
But he was convicted unanimously by a jury of the more serious charge of causing death by dangerous driving following a trial in January and was sentenced on Thursday.
Passing sentence, Judge Timothy Smith jailed Cairns for five years and gave him a seven-year driving ban.
In emotional victim impact statements read to the court, Ruby’s brother Ryan Veitch, mum Shelley Booth and dad Ian Cropper each spoke of the terrible grief they have endured since Ruby's death.
"The sight of seeing her unconscious and dying in front of me is the worst thing I have ever had to deal with," Ruby's heartbroken mum said.
She added: "We lay with her and played her favourite music, took her hand and footprints, told her how much we loved her and were there until her last breath."
Mr Cropper spoke of his "unbearable pain", adding: "She made me happy when I was sad. She was my everything and it's hard to put into words the loss I feel.
"I will never heal from this. I will never recover from this."
Judge Smith told the defendant he had an "arrogant entitlement to drive at excessive speed".
He added: "This is a tragic reminder for all those who drive, if speed limits are not observed the car we are driving can be a lethal weapon."
The court heard Cairns had two previous convictions for drink-driving, including crashing and flipping his dad's Honda Civic and leaving the scene.
Six months after the crash involving Ruby, Cairns was caught speeding at 98mph on the M62.
Ruby's family said she had become a "life-saver" through organ donation to three other people after her death and £17,000 had been raised for North West Air Ambulance.
