A 26-year-old Indian-origin driver who hit an elderly British Sikh woman while travelling at high speed, causing her death in the West Midlands region of England, has been jailed for six years.
Arjun Dosanjh was also banned from driving for eight years at Wolverhampton Crown Court this week after Kaur’s death of Surinder Kaur, 81, in November 2022. Kaur was on her way back home from her local gurdwara when she was hit.
The court heard that Dosanjh, along with co-accused Jacek Wiatrowski, 51, had suddenly decided to race each other at the traffic lights before the fatal accident. The duo, unknown to each other, pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving at an earlier hearing and were handed identical sentences on Monday.
“Mrs Kaur was on her way back from her local gurdwara, the journey she made every day and was killed during her daily routine, said Detective Sergeant Chris Ridge from the Serious Collision Investigation Unit of the West Midlands Police.
“She was devoted to her faith and family, and my thoughts are with her loved ones who have been deeply affected by her death. Wiatrowski and Dosanjh did not know each other and were driving competitively this dangerous and foolish action cost a life. The sentence imposed will never fill the void left in Mrs Kaur’s family, and I extend my heartfelt condolences to them,” he said.
The court heard that both vehicles were travelling at high speeds, significantly exceeding the speed limit. CCTV footage showed Wiatrowski heavily braking as he spotted Kaur crossing the road, he narrowly missed her but caused Dosanjh to swerve on the wrong side of the road, hitting Kaur.
In a victim statement read out to the court, Kaur’s family said: “Our mum lived a very simple life. She was a deeply religious woman, and on the day of the accident, she was on her way home from the gurdwara. The days and weeks after mum’s death were really tough; as well as trying to come to terms with our loss, we had to deal with an ongoing police investigation.”
“We are all trying to come to terms with the loss of our mum, we have all gone through so many different emotions, but ultimately, we are all just sad. Sad that every milestone we celebrate as a family will be filled with sadness as our mum will not be there, the statement said. The police urged motorists to prioritise road safety as their actions can make a significant difference in preventing accidents.
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