Birmingham man jailed after causing death of ’cheerful and bright’ girl in fatal crash
A man has been jailed after a four-year-old girl died following a crash in Birmingham.
Javonnie Tavener was sentenced to three years and 10 months at Birmingham Crown Court on Friday after pleading guilty to causing death by careless driving, causing death whilst driving uninsured and two counts of causing serious injury by careless driving.
Tavener, 23, of no fixed address, was also sentenced to an extra 18 months for an unrelated assault, bringing his total jail time to five years and four months, and also disqualified from driving for six years.
The court heard how Mayar Yahia was walking with her family on the pavement of Upper Highgate Street on the evening of April 14, 2024 after visiting a friend for Eid celebrations.
A Vauxhall Corsa then dangerously overtook a Mercedes, which resulted in the Corsa colliding with a group of pedestrians on the pavement.
This group included Mayar, and despite best efforts of paramedics at the scene, she died, while two women were also seriously injured.
Almost 30 minutes after the collision, Tavener returned back to the scene and was immediately detained.
During interview, Tavener claimed he was forced into his own car by a second man.
Months after the collision, Tavener used his mobile phone to search driving negligence, and the potential ban for causing death by careless driving, despite saying to police he did not own a mobile phone.
Detective Sergeant Paul Hughes, from the West Midlands Police serious collision investigation unit, 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.”
