Man jailed after Birmingham collision killed four-year-old girl
Mayar Yahia had been walking home from Eid celebrations with her family
A man has been jailed after a four-year-old girl died in a collision in Birmingham.
Mayar Yahia was walking home from Eid celebrations on the pavement of Upper Highgate Street in April 2024, when a car came off the road.
She died at the scene. Two women were also seriously injured.
Javonnie Tavener, aged 23, returned back to the scene 30 minutes after the collision and was immediately detained.
Tavener was charged with causing death by careless driving, causing death whilst driving uninsured and two counts of causing serious injury by careless driving. He admitted all charges at an earlier hearing.
Today, at Birmingham Crown Court, Tavener was sentenced to three years and 10 months. He was sentenced to an extra 18 months for an unrelated assaullt, bringing his total jail time to five years and four months.
He is also disqualified from driving for six years.
Detective Sergeant Paul Hughes said: “Mayar was just four years old when her life was tragically taken away from her.
"She was walking back with her family and friends after celebrating Eid.
“Pedestrians should be reassured of protection when walking on the pavement and a split-second decision by Tavener to overtake where he did has led to this tragic chain of events.
“He then made no efforts to ring the emergency services.
“I would urge all drivers to think about this incident and how those decisions can have such catastrophic consequences."
In tribute Mayar’s family said: “Mayar was an extraordinary child. She was full of love and always smiling, kind to everyone and made friends easily.
"She was cheerful and bright, and she brought happiness to everyone around her at home, in her school and her neighbourhood.
“There are no words that can truly describe how special she as, 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 to the whole community.
“We hope this tragedy serves as a reminder to everyone of the importance of driving safely and responsibly. No one deserves to lose a loved one like this.
"Mayar will always be in our hearts.”