I saw this in today’s newspapers – this version is from The Telegraph. A learner driver has been convicted and jailed for 2 years for killing a 9-year-old girl after losing control during her first time driving a car.
Beatrice Mawamba, 34, was described as “profoundly ignorant” about motoring and didn’t even know what the brake pedal did, according to the judge. As well as killing Shamirah Grant, she injured two other children – one of them seriously.
Mawamba was being “taught” by her husband. Initially, according to the version of the story in printed edition of The Sun, he was also charged with the same offence as his wife, but the case was dropped. Apparently, the husband was telling Mawamba to brake as they raced towards the children… but she didn’t know how to do that!
The dead girl’s parents have “forgiven those present in the car… We appreciate that such a terrible event was not intentional.”
It’s important to remember that last part, because neither of the Mawambas did this on purpose, nor was it anything specifically to do with their ethnicity (something certain “expert commentators” on some web forums have been quick to latch on to). The route they had chosen for the wife to learn to drive is one that probably millions of others have selected over the years, and one that is likely to become ever more popular given the current economic climate.
However, the tragic events involved clearly show what a huge responsibility it is both learning to drive… and teaching someone to do so.