Mother and her daughter, 16, on the school run were killed by drug-driver high on cocaine who smashed into their stationary car while looking at TikTok on his phone
- Luke Flanaghan was jailed for five years and seven months at Luton Crown Court
A mother and her teenage daughter burned to death on the school run after a van driver who was using TikTok after taking cocaine ploughed into their stationary car.
Luke Flanagan, 28, had almost three times the legal limit of the Class A drug in his body when his Transit van smashed into the Peugeot 2008 driven by Emma Van der Avoird.
The car was thrown several feet into the air and petrol leaked out which ignited, causing a fireball with widow Mrs Van der Avoird and her 16-year-old daughter, Khiana, inside.
Panicking Flanagan suffered burns to his face as he tried to pull them from the wreckage on the A421 near Renhold in Bedfordshire but was beaten back by the flames.
The double tragedy followed the death of Mrs Van der Avoird’s husband, Ed, who suffered a heart attack in 2011 aged 54.
Emma Van der Avoird and her 16-year-old daughter Khiana died when drug-driver Luke Flanagan, 28, smashed into their car
Flanagan, of Little Paxton, Cambridgeshire, was jailed for five years and seven months yesterday after admitting causing death by dangerous driving.
Judge Michael Simon, sitting at Luton Crown Court, said: ‘Life is precious. The coming to an end of a life is always a matter of sadness.
‘In this case, that tragedy is magnified not only by the loss of two precious lives but also by the personal circumstances of the deceased. They had themselves been bereaved of their father and husband with the sudden death of Mr Ed Van Der Avoird.’
Prosecutor Martin Mulgrew said the crash happened shortly after 8am on November 1, 2021.
Traffic was queuing on the 60mph stretch of road and dashcam footage from other drivers showed Mrs Van der Avoird, also of Little Paxton, slowing down and stopping.
Flanagan’s van then appeared behind her and failed to slow down before slamming into the back of the Peugeot.
‘The defendant was interacting with the TikTok app on his phone, which was in a cradle,’ Mr Mulgrew said.
The prosecutor added the defendant had consumed the cocaine on Saturday – meaning he had taken so much his ability to drive was still impaired two days later.
The crash happened on the A421 near Renhold in Bedfordshire (pictured is a picture of the road, not the specific crash site)
Judge Simon said: ‘Almost immediately, liquid could be seen flooding out from the offside of the Peugeot and within seconds the liquid ignited and the car burst into flames, with the conflagration extending to the defendant’s van as well.
‘To his credit, the defendant immediately got out of his van and made attempts to help the driver of the burning car but the heat was so intense that there was nothing he or anyone else could do.’
Alistair MacDonald KC, defending, said Flanagan, who had no previous convictions, had undergone counselling to deal with flashbacks and post-traumatic stress disorder caused by the incident.
In a statement released by police at the time of the deaths, relatives of Mrs Van der Avoird said: ‘Our family is overcome with sadness and grief at Emma and Khiana’s death in such tragic circumstances.
‘They were both vibrant, strong and forthright people. Emma was on her way to take Khiana to Bedford Modern School, where she was a bright and popular student.
‘Emma and Khiana were as close as any mother and daughter could be. Emma was a devoted mother who had poured her heart and soul into caring for Khiana since the sudden death of their husband and father, Ed, ten years ago.
‘Khiana was at the start of her life and was a beautiful and talented girl.
‘We are devastated that they have been wrenched from us when both of them still had so much living to do. We will all miss Emma and Khiana dearly but take some comfort in the fact they have been reunited as a family.’
Flanagan was also banned from driving for four years and nine months.
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