Speed Demon Jailed After East London Crash Kills Man
A reckless driver who sped over three times the limit on the A12 has been locked up for causing a fatal crash. Ashraf Salem, 24, blasted down the road at more than 140mph in his blue Range Rover, smashing into Osama Sayam’s Audi and ending the 29-year-old’s life.
Deadly Crash on A12: Speed Kills
The horrific collision happened in the early hours of 6 September 2018 near the Greenman Underpass, heading towards Essex. Salem lost control of his car, which spun out and hit Osama’s vehicle. Despite emergency services rushing to the scene, Osama died from his injuries. Two passengers with Salem were also hurt and remain in recovery.
Justice Served at Old Bailey
Last Friday, Salem was sentenced to eight years and three months behind bars at the Old Bailey after pleading guilty to causing death by dangerous driving and serious injury charges. The case was backed by overwhelming evidence.
Detective Sergeant Edward Coleman of the Serious Collision Investigation Unit said:
“This is a heart-breaking tale. A young man’s life was cruelly cut short by the selfish and utterly reckless actions of another driver. The speed Salem was travelling at was horrifying — he should be ashamed of himself. There’s no doubt that his speed killed Osama. We hope this sentence sends a stark warning that speed kills.”
Family and Authorities React
Osama’s sister Izzy said: “Our beloved Ozzy was a loving son, brother, uncle and friend who was always smiling and put the needs of others before his own. Although he is no longer with us in person, he has left us with everlasting beautiful memories and will forever be in our thoughts and heart.”
Siwan Hayward, Director of Compliance and Policing at Transport for London (TfL), said: “Our roads are not a race track. Salem’s utterly unacceptable behaviour shows the devastating consequences of dangerous driving and speeding. We urge everyone to slow down, obey the speed limit and drive carefully — it could mean the difference between life and death. We will continue to work with police to tackle speeding and push for the strongest sentences for lawbreakers.”
The Metropolitan Police and TfL champion the Vision Zero campaign, aiming to eliminate deaths on London’s roads by 2041. The police focus on the ‘Fatal 4’ dangers: speeding, mobile phone use, not wearing seatbelts, and driving under the influence.
