A teenager killed a seven-year-old girl when he ploughed into her at 52mph while riding a stolen motorcycle.
How it Happened
Katniss Seleznev had been playing in the street close to her home in Walsall when she was hit by the 15-year-old boy, who cannot be named due to his age, on a blue Suzuki motorbike.
The incident, which took place in full view of Katniss’s twin brother and older sister on July 27 last year, saw the girl thrown 20 metres down Turnstone Road – which is a 20mph limit – after the crash.
Katniss, who was riding a pink three-wheeled scooter, was fatally injured and despite the best efforts of witnesses who rushed to her aid, passed away the same day.
Court Ruling
Wolverhampton Crown Court was told that the boy, who did not stop to help after hitting Katniss, had been convicted of multiple driving offences just a month before the crash only to receive a referral order.
He has been locked up for more than five years.
On Wednesday at the same court he was sentenced to 64 months in detention after pleading guilty to causing death by dangerous driving, of which he will serve half before he is released on licence.
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A witness, who had left her home moments before the crash, told police the motorbike, being ridden by a boy with his hood up and his face covered by a balaclava, narrowly avoided crashing into her vehicle as the bike travelled on the wrong side of the road towards her.
Collision investigators said there were no obvious signs the rider had tried to brake before hitting Katniss.
