Woman killed her friend by reversing into her

A carer sobbed in court today (Fri) as she was spared jail for killing her friend and colleague by accidentally reversing her car into her.

Hena Rodricks, 52, panicked with the automatic gear selector and crushed 54-year-old Sahra Mohammed between the rear of her car and a metal railing.

Rodricks had dropped Ms Mohammed off in Gledwood Drive, Hayes, after they worked a shift together before she killed her friend ‘in seconds’.

Last month Rodricks denied causing death by dangerous driving and admitted causing death by careless driving on 19 January.

But after an indication from the judge today (fri) who said he would suspend a jail sentence for the more serious charge, Rodricks pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving.

Rodricks sobbed in the dock as she was given a ten month in prison suspended for 18 months.

Judge John Hillen told her: ‘Hena Rodricks you are a 52-year-old lady of impeccable character.

‘Your employer described you as having patience, ingenuity, determination, common sense and enthusiasm alongside compassion, competence, courage and commitment.

‘Enabled you to become a successful and practising full time carer and support worker.

‘That you now appear in the dock at the Old Bailey awaiting sentence is a tragedy for you.

‘But of course the greater, incalculable tragedy is that you, in those few seconds in January this year, ended another person’s life.

‘Nothing I can do or say can bring her back now.

‘Her family and her friends, and her friends include you, face a life without her.

‘She and her family have the sympathy of all for what happened.

‘This is undoubtedly your greatest punishment and you will have to live and learn to live with the knowledge that your actions caused the tragic loss of your friend and colleague.’

Rodricks and Ms Mohammed were good friends and that they had worked together regularly for the previous three years.

‘On the morning of 19 January this year you had driven Sahra to an address in Hayes where you and she were working that morning providing care services to clients.

‘It was in fact Sahra’s turn to drive but sadly that day she asked you if you would do it and you agreed.

‘So you both travelled together in your car.

‘As we have seen on CCTV, you manoeuvred to turn your vehicle around.

‘What you did in that automatic car, was to fail to take the stick out of the reverse position after completing that turning manoeuvre.

‘Sahra got out of the front passenger side, walked out of the vehicle, as we saw, and that car was still in reverse.

‘The car [moved] back slowly at first but then, you panicking, at speed, pinning Sahra between the car and the metal railing of a fence at a school.

‘You say you couldn’t see her in the mirror and you say you tried to brake.

‘After this terrible incident you stayed on the scene and sought assistance.’

Ms Mohammed was taken to the Royal London Hospital where she was treated for a brain injury and died three days later on 22 January.

‘One can only hope that what happened caused her to become immediately unconscious so that there was no suffering before her death,’ Judge Hillen said.

Rodricks, of Brookside Road, Hayes, admitted causing death by dangerous driving.

She was given a 10 month jail sentence suspended for 18 months. She will also have to complete 120 hours of unpaid work in a year and has been disqualified from driving for seven years.

Her early guilty plea to causing death by careless driving has been vacated and the count will lie on file.