A man, who killed a Guy’s and St Thomas’ Trust doctor in a collision in Dulwich after failing to defrost his windscreen, has been jailed.
Alexander Fitzgerald, 26, of Selwood Road, Essex, was handed a ten-month sentence behind bars for careless driving at Kingston Crown Court on Friday (January 11).
He was handed a further four-and-a-half sentence month for causing death by driving uninsured, to be served concurrently.
He previously pleaded guilty to both offences at an earlier hearing.
Fitzgerald was also disqualified from driving for 23 months and ordered to take a re-test at the end of his disqualification period.
Fitzgerald collided into ‘much-loved’ Jasjot Singhota, shortly 7am on January 25 2017, on Dulwich’s Thurlow Park Road, at the junction with Birkbeck Hill.
Police found that a black Ford Fiesta driven by Fitzgerald – who stopped at the scene – had collided into 30-year-old Ms Singhota, who lived in Tulse Hill, while she was walking over a zebra crossing.
The doctor died in hospital a day later due to a “traumatic brain injury.”
Officers from the Met’s Serious Collision Investigation Unit discovered that Fitzgerald had been driving to work from his girlfriend’s address in a car he did not own and was not insured to drive.
He had also not cleared off the frost from the windscreen before setting off, seriously impairing his visibility.
Jasjot’s sister, Neha Santasalo, said on Friday: “Although this will not bring Jasjot back, the sentencing today provides closure allowing us to focus on our sister, her life and all that she achieved.
“This sentence shows how important it is to clear your windscreen before driving off in the morning, especially during the cold weather.
“This is a simple action that takes no time at all but can prevent any other family having to go through what we have.”
Since her tragic death, Jasjot’s organs have saved the lives of five people.
Detective Constable Sejal Unadkat, who led the investigation, said: “This is an incident that could have been avoided entirely if only Fitzgerald had taken the proper precautions in ensuring his visibility was not impaired by the frost on his windscreen.
“He didn’t, and as a result Jasjot’s family, and indeed society, has been robbed of a much-loved and talented individual who worked as a doctor to improve the lives of others.
“Through being an organ donor Jasjot has saved the lives of five other people since her death; a fact that both comforts her family in their grief, and fills them with immeasurable pride at what a selfless and kind person she truly was.
“I hope this custodial sentence gives them some small measure of closure.”
Alexander’s father, Gary Fitzgerald, 54, was also interviewed under caution in May 2017 before pleading guilty to permitting the use of a motor vehicle with no insurance in May 2018.
He was given eight points on his license, issued with a £250 fine and ordered to pay a victim surcharge and costs.