Summary
A van driver named Rawal Rehman, after taking cocaine, crashed his van into a tram and caused the death of a three-year-old girl named Louisa Palmisano, known as Lulu, in Manchester. Rehman fled the scene but was arrested the next day and has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for causing death by dangerous driving.
Key Facts
- Rawal Rehman took at least 20 lines of cocaine before the crash on 22 February.
- The van crashed into a tram and then hit three-year-old Louisa Palmisano as she was walking with her parents.
- Louisa Palmisano died in the hospital shortly after the crash.
- Rehman initially fled the crash scene by flagging down a taxi.
- He was arrested the day after the incident following a police manhunt.
- Rehman has previous convictions, including a three-year jail sentence in 2017 for interfering with justice in another case.
- He was sentenced to 12 years in jail at Manchester Crown Court after pleading guilty.
- The court heard evidence from CCTV showing the events leading up to and following the crash.
