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Driver jailed over Poppy-Arabella Clarke crossing death | Driver jailed over Poppy-Arabella Clarke crossing death |
(35 minutes later) | |
A pensioner who killed a three-year-old girl weeks after being told to stop driving because of poor eyesight has been jailed for four years. | |
Poppy-Arabella Clarke and her mother Rachel were struck by John Place's car as they crossed Chester Road in Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham, in July 2016. | |
Her mother was also seriously injured in the crash. | |
Place admitted causing death by dangerous driving and causing serious injury by dangerous driving. | Place admitted causing death by dangerous driving and causing serious injury by dangerous driving. |
At the time of the incident the traffic lights were on red and the green light was flashing for pedestrians, police said. | |
More on this and other Birmingham and Black Country stories here | More on this and other Birmingham and Black Country stories here |
Place, of Bakers Lane, Sutton Coldfield, was jailed at Birmingham Crown Court. | |
He told police he was not wearing his glasses and that he had not seen the red light or the crossing itself. | |
In a family statement, Poppy-Arabella's parents Rachel and Phil said their daughter had spent the morning "playing with mummy" and "was excited to be heading to nursery to see her friends". | |
The family's lawyer called for a "Poppy-Arabella's law" requiring medical professionals to report people unfit to drive to the DVLA. | |
The statement added Place "did not swerve, he did not brake and he did not stop". | |
He only stopped when flagged down by another driver. | |
A police spokesman said Poppy-Arabella's parents "continue to suffer enormously from their loss". | |
He added: "Place should not have been driving that day as, quite simply, his vision was severely impaired." | |
Paying tribute to his daughter, Poppy-Arabella's father Phil said: "We will miss her forever, we will love her for always. | |
"We have been left with a life sentence without our little girl, whose entire life was stolen from her in a fraction of a second." | |
Place has also been disqualified from driving for five years from the date of his release from prison. | Place has also been disqualified from driving for five years from the date of his release from prison. |
At a previous hearing, the court heard Poppy-Arabella's parents were unable to have any more children and said Place had so far shown them no remorse. |