News Desk

The Advocate Post: A speeding Mercedes driver has been jailed for 10 years for causing the death of an Ecuadorian politician’s daughter in London.

On March 16, 2022, psychologist Vanessa Sagnay de la Bastida and her fiancé Michael Williams were walking home close to Wandsworth Bridge in west London when they crossed the street holding hands.

When 39-year-old Octavian Cadar approached them at over 55 mph—more than double the 20 mph speed limit—the scared pair split up and ran.
Before she ever reached the pavement, Ms. Sagnay, 27, also known as Charlotte, was struck, sending her flying into the air and landing on a sign post and railing. She passed away at the scene from a devastating head injury.

Cadar, a resident of Bexley, in southeast London, initially claimed that the couple’s “messing about in the road” caused the crash; however, he later acknowledged to the jury that this was incorrect.

A witness told the court that if he had been driving at thirty miles per hour, the accident would not have occurred, notwithstanding his allegation that he was trying to avoid them.
After 42 minutes of deliberation, the jury found him guilty of driving recklessly and caused Ms. Sagnay’s death.

Cadar spent ten years in prison and lost his driving privileges for ten years and eight months.
He was awarded six penalty points, a fine, and a speeding conviction at Bromley Magistrates’ Court in 2018.

Mr. Williams, a PhD candidate at University College London, stated after his sentencing that

“no one should have the power to kill just to drive fast.”

“Speeding in a sports automobile was more important to Cadar than our lives.”

He then reacted angrily and accusingly.

“My life with Charlotte was wonderful, she was the best friend I ever had,”

he stated about his fiancée.She has a supernatural power to provide individuals with the exact assistance they required.”