Speeding driver jailed after he killed young mum in Derby

A woman died from catastrophic injuries more than seven months after she was hit by a speeding car as she crossed a road in Derby.

Joanna Cieszynska, 35, was struck by Armaan Afsar’s Volkswagen Golf as he overtook a taxi she was about to get into on 13 February 2022.

She died on 7 October 2022, Derbyshire Police said, leaving two boys she was raising alone after their father passed away years earlier.

Afsar was jailed for 10 years when he appeared at Derby Crown Court on Monday after pleading guilty to causing her death by dangerous driving.

The 27-year-old defendant, of Malham Road, Derby, was arrested after Ms Cieszynska was struck by his car in Douglas Street.

He initially denied a charge of causing death by dangerous driving, but changed his plea midway through a trial in August.

Police said his car was caught on CCTV travelling between 59mph and 62mph in a 30mph zone, 35 metres before he hit Ms Cieszynska.

In a victim impact statement, a friend of Ms Cieszynska said: “Joanna has two boys, who were aged 11 and 13 at the time she was killed. She was raising them on her own after their father had already tragically passed away years earlier.

“She was a loving, hard-working single mother who gave everything she had to her children.

“Despite life’s challenges, she did everything possible to give them the best life she could.

“She worked hard, she cared deeply and she was determined to see her children grow up safe and happy. But that future was stolen.

“The offender drove at more than twice the speed limit, at motorway speeds, through the city.

“That is not just careless – it is deadly.”

Det Sgt Dan Booth, of Derbyshire Police, said: “This terrible case led to the death of a young woman, leaving her children without a parent, as their father had tragically died some years earlier.

“Armaan Afsar drove at more than double the speed limit in a residential area.

“His actions were dangerous and selfish, and this collision was entirely avoidable.

“Whilst I am pleased that Afsar has finally accepted what he has done, his initial not guilty plea meant that Joanna’s children, family and friends had to endure two years of turmoil, waiting for the trial to take place.”

Afsar was also banned from driving for eight years and eight months, and must pass an extended test before driving again.