A man has been jailed after a four-year-old girl was killed when a car mounted the pavement and struck pedestrians in Birmingham.
Joyful Child Murdered on Pavement
Little Mayar Yahia, described as “cheerful and bright,” was walking with her family in Upper Highgate Street on the evening of 14 April 2024. She had just visited a friend to celebrate Eid when horror struck.
A reckless Vauxhall Corsa dangerously overtook a Mercedes and ploughed into a group of pedestrians on the pavement, hitting Mayar and others.
Despite intense efforts by paramedics, Mayar tragically died at the scene. Two women were seriously injured.
Driver Caught and Jailed
Just 30 minutes later, 23-year-old Javonnie Tavener returned to the scene and was immediately arrested.
During questioning, Tavener claimed he had been forced into his car by another man. But police later discovered he’d searched online months after the crash for info about driving negligence and potential bans—despite telling officers he didn’t own a phone.
Tavener admitted causing death by careless driving, driving uninsured, and two counts of causing serious injury by careless driving.
At Birmingham Crown Court on 13 March, he was sentenced to three years and 10 months for the crash. An extra 18 months for an unrelated assault bumps his total jail term to five years and four months.
He’s also banned from driving for six years.
Family Pays Heartbreaking Tribute
“Mayar was an extraordinary child. She was full of love and always smiling, kind to everyone and made friends easily,” the family said.
“She was cheerful and bright, bringing happiness to everyone around her at home, school and in the community.”
“There are no words to describe how special she was or how much we miss her.”
“Losing Mayar has been the most painful experience of our lives. It’s not just our loss; it’s a loss to her friends and the whole community.”
“We hope this tragedy reminds everyone to drive safely and responsibly. No one deserves to lose a loved one like this.”
“Mayar will always be in our hearts.”
