Willesden ambulance driver accused of mowing down clubbers in Shoreditch while answering 999 call
Cheryl Aggarwal is on trial (pic: London Evening Standard) - Credit: Archant
An ambulance driver from Willesden accused of mowing down clubbers after she jumped a red light while responding to a 999 call will stand trial accused of a driving offence.
Cheryl Aggarwal, of Lydford Road, is charged with driving without care and attention after her Mercedes ambulance mounted a pavement and knocked down revellers outside a bar in Shoreditch, east London, on January 24 last year.
The 58-year-old was due to appeared at Stratford Magistrate’s Court today but she failed to show up.
The case could not proceed in her absence after the prosecution failed to book a Spanish interpreter for Carlos Amaguary who was driving a Seat Ibiza which was hit by the ambulance as Aggarwal overtook traffic.
Mr Amaguary’s car span in the road as the ambulance careered towards the terrified clubbers.
Mohammad Mullah, prosecuting, said: “On Saturday 24 January 2015 at 1.37am in Great Eastern Street the driver of a Mercedes ambulance was on an emergency call with blue lights and sirens activated when the driver approached the red light on the wrong side of the road,’ said.
“It passed the stationary traffic waiting at the lights.
Most Read
- 1 Plan for creating 25,500 homes around 'HS2 Superhub' passed
- 2 Former bingo hall in Burnt Oak to become co-working and co-living space
- 3 Wembley school opens new special educational needs facility
- 4 Series of failures sees Met Police placed under special measures
- 5 2 men attacked by group after fight breaks out at Queensbury Tube Station
- 6 Three Met officers receive written warning over photos of murdered sisters
- 7 Two charged after police discharge taser during Kingsbury vehicle stop
- 8 Covid admissions on the rise at north London hospitals
- 9 Most wanted: 6 people sought in connection with 10 robberies across London
- 10 Plea date set for men accused of fatal stabbing in Neasden
“It failed to stop or slow at the junction and collided with a white Seat Ibiza that was driving straight at the junction.”
Adjourning the trial, magistrate Elizabeth Cuffey said: “This matter should have been dealt with five months ago when the trial was set.
“This is a very serious incident with a number of casualties.”
A pre-trial review has been scheduled for March 24 to ensure that the Crown Prosecution Service is in a position to proceed.