Luke Flanagan pleaded guilty to causing the deaths of Emma van der Avoird and her daughter Khiana by dangerous driving (Picture: PA)
A van driver who was watching TikTok on his phone when he killed a mum and daughter in a horrific crash has been jailed.
Luke Flanagan was also found to be three times the legal limit for cocaine when he caused the crash on the A421 near Renhold, Bedfordshire, in November 2021.
A Peugeot 2008 driven by Emma van der Avoird, 55, and her 16-year-old daughter Khiana had stopped due to stationary traffic ahead – but Flanagan didn’t see this and smashed into their car with his van.
Flanagan, 28, hit the Peugeot with so much force that it was pushed underneath the lorry in front of it before bursting into flames.
He received burns to his face after he tried to help the victims in the car but Emma and Khiana, from Little Paxton in Cambridgeshire, died at the scene. Two people in the HGV were uninjured.
Flanagan was arrested and during a police interview he claimed he hadn’t seen the Peugeot stop because something fell on the floor of his van.
However his phone data revealed he had been using TikTok at the time of the crash. His defence claimed his phone was on his dashboard being used to stream music.
A victim impact statement from Emma’s sibling was read out in court, which said: ‘My sister Emma and her daughter Khiana were inseparable as a pair.
‘Emma was my older sister whom I grew up with. We always dropped into our old way of being when together and we chattered away whenever we met or spoke on the phone; time just running away.
Khiana van der Avoird was just 16 when she was killed in a horrific car crash (Picture: PA)
Emma van der Avoird and her daughter Khiana were said to be ‘inseparable’ (Picture: PA)
Luke Flannagan had cocaine in his system and was using his phone at the time of the crash (Picture: PA)
‘I really only ever had that type of relationship with Emma, and I cannot tell you just how hard it is not to have her or the chance to speak or see her again.
‘The impact of Emma and Khiana’s deaths was made considerably worse by the manner of their deaths. They were just on their way to school like normal, stationary in traffic.
‘I honestly will never come to terms with this or the fact their lives ended so needlessly.
‘I understand Mr Flannagan did try to get them out and sustained burns himself and I thank him for that but that is nothing compared the impact his actions have had on me and my wider family.
‘I hope that he can find a way to live with what he has done because I know how hard it continues to be for me.’
Flanagan pleaded guilty to two counts of causing death by dangerous driving and he was sentenced at Luton crown court to five years and seven months in prison.
He was also disqualified from driving for four years and nine months, and will have to pass an extended re-test to get behind the wheel again.
Det Sgt Ben Heath said: ‘First and foremost my thoughts are with Emma and Khiana’s family and their terrible loss.
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‘This was an extremely sad incident that could have been avoided, had Flanagan been paying attention to the road.
‘I can’t stress enough the importance of paying due care and attention when driving, especially at fast speeds.
‘You are in charge of a powerful machine, so not being aware of what is happening around you can lead to potentially tragic consequences, which is sadly what happened in this case.’
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‘The impact of Emma and Khiana’s deaths was made considerably worse by the manner of their deaths. They were just on their way to school like normal, stationary in traffic.’
