Man jailed after running red light on moped and seriously injuring 3-year-old girl

Raaid Ressaf, 19, was sentenced to three-and-a-half years’ imprisonment
Metropolitan Police
Daniel Keane21 December 2021
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A man has been jailed after he drove through a red light on his moped and seriously injured a three-year-old girl.

Raaid Ressaf, 19, was sentenced to three-and-a-half years in jail after colliding with the young girl as she crossed the road with her family in Acton.

He pleaded guilty on Monday to causing injury by dangerous driving, driving without a licence, driving without insurance and driving while over the prescribed limit.

Isleworth Crown Court heard police were called at 6.34pm on June 8 to reports of a collision involving a moped and a child pedestrian on The Vale at the junction with Bromyard Avenue in Acton.

Members of the London Ambulance Service and London’s Air Ambulance attended the scene where they found the young child unconscious with head and chest injuries.

She was rushed to St Mary’s Hospital where she had a CT scan and then went straight into surgery.

Ressaf, from Wembley, stopped at the scene and was arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving and driving while under the influence of drugs.

Detectives later established the incident happened as the girl and her family were crossing the street at a pedestrian crossing while other vehicles waited at a red light.

Ressaf had overtaken a number of stationary cars before colliding with the victim as she crossed the road, the Met Police said.

The victim, who is now aged four, is back home but has life-changing injuries and requires a lot of care.

Ressaf had bought the moped the day before the collision.

He had a provisional driving license, though this has been revoked over a week before on May 28.

Detective Constable Davina Nash, the investigating officer from the Met’s Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said: “Ressaf has finally taken responsibility for his actions after pleading guilty, which he had no choice but to do given the overwhelming evidence we collected against him.

“His dangerous actions on that day turned a family’s life upside down and caused them agonising pain and worry. Thankfully she pulled through, but she has been left with life-changing injuries and still requires a lot of care, all because of Ressaf’s irresponsible driving.

“I hope Ressaf’s sentencing makes people think twice before driving recklessly and going through red lights, which are red for a reason - to keep all road users safe.”

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