Politician’s daughter killed in front of ‘terrified’ fiance by speeding driver

The daughter of an Ecuadorian politician was hit and killed by a speeding Mercedes car in front of her ‘terrified’ fiance, a court has heard.

Vanessa Sagnay de la Bastida, 28, was struck as she crossed a road near Wandsworth Bridge in west London with her partner Michael Williams, the Old Bailey was told.

Motorist Octavian Cadar, 39, was allegedly driving the Mercedes at more than double the speed limit at the time of the collision, which caused Ms Sagnay to somersault in the air and land on a railing.

Ms Sagnay, who was known as Charlotte, suffered a head injury and died at the scene around 13 minutes later, despite the efforts of an off-duty doctor.

Cadar, of Bexley, south-east London, has admitted causing her death by careless driving but denied the more serious offence of causing death by dangerous driving.

Opening his trial on Monday, prosecutor Amanda Hilton said Cadar had left a McDonald’s drive-through restaurant and was on his way to visit his girlfriend in Fulham after work on the evening of March 16 2022.

He turned into Bridgend Road on the approach to Wandsworth Bridge at around 10.06pm where the couple were crossing, the court was told.

Ms Hilton said: ‘As they came to traffic lights, Mr Williams pressed the button and looked to the right and the road was clear. They started crossing towards the central reservation.

‘As they were crossing, Octavian Cadar drove his Mercedes after the roundabout at speed. They heard the car coming. Mr Williams ran on the journey they were taking. Charlotte ran back to the pavement they had just left and the Mercedes struck her.

‘Mr Williams, who witnessed the collision, told police Charlotte was hit on the lefthand side by the bonnet of the car and he watched as Charlotte was thrown forward on to a railing.

‘He heard her scream and then he saw her land on the ground.’

Witnesses described the ‘revving’ sound of a speeding vehicle and the sound of a sports car accelerating through gears, jurors heard.

Ms Sagnay was seen by one witness to somersault in the air twice before there was a thud.

As she lay mortally injured, Mr Williams allegedly screamed: ‘What have you done?’

Cadar allegedly responded ‘I did not see’, before shouting at the young man: ‘Why did you freeze? Why didn’t you keep walking?’

Ms Hilton suggested the reason was because the couple had been ‘terrified’.

Cadar tried to move Ms Sagnay but Mr Williams told him not to touch her, the prosecutor said.

An off-duty doctor carried out chest compressions assisted by a member of the public but Ms Sagnay died at the scene at 10.19pm.

The defendant claimed the man with the victim had stopped on the road, waved his hands and was pulling Ms Sagnay backwards and forwards.

Ms Hilton said the defendant had suggested that Mr Williams caused the collision and implied the couple had been ‘messing around in the road’.

Cadar also said the road was wet and it had not been safe to stop in time.

But the prosecutor said a forensic expert had concluded Cadar’s car had travelled at an average speed of 55mph from the McDonald’s drive-through to Bridgend Road.

She said he was doing 48mph just before impact in the 20mph zone.

She said that if the defendant had been driving at 30mph, the couple would have been able to complete their crossing to the traffic island.

Ms Hilton said: ‘It is the Crown’s case that Mr Cadar’s driving fell far below what would be expected of careful and competent driving.

‘He was on a road he knew well. He was going to see his girlfriend after work. He must have been aware there was a pedestrian crossing there.’

She said the defendant had driven at ‘excessive speed’ which was more than double the limit in the area on a wet surface.

During Ms Hilton’s opening speech, Ms Sagnay’s mother began to weep loudly in court and appeared shocked to learn the defendant had touched her daughter as she lay mortally wounded.

Judge Anuja Dhir KC called for a short break before addressing jurors on the issue.

She told them that it is understandable that ‘emotions run high’ but urged jurors to set aside their own feelings and try the case on the evidence.

The trial continues.

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