Krishna Devi Droch

Krishna Devi Droch was knocked over in Rookery Road near the junction with Soho Road by a silver Vauxhall Zafira car that drove off on 9 November 2017 at about 11am.

The silver Vauxhall Zafira car, which had the registration number EY06 TCU was later found burnt out two miles away in Romulus Close. It was described as a 'people carrier' type of vehicle.

Four people were arrested in connection with her death with three men being arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving who were later released pending further investigation and a 47-year-old man was arrested and later charged with perverting the course of justice, but no one was convicted of killing her.

The incident was caught on CCTV and showed two cars racing each other with the silver Vauxhall Zafira car that hit Krishna Droch being on the wrong side of the road at the time.

Krishna Droch had been crossing Rookery Road at the time on her way to morning prayers and died at the scene, it being said that there was nothing that could have been done to save her.

The silver Vauxhall Zafira car was thought to have been one of three cars that were racing each other and the silver Vauxhall Zafira car had been seen earlier on to have sped through a red traffic light in Soho Road closely followed by a light green Corsa car and a silver/grey Ford Mondeo car.

All of the cars were later found abandoned within 24 hours. The silver Vauxhall Zafira car, registration EY06 TCU, had been burnt out and the two other cars had had false number plates on them at the time. The police said that they had carried out forensic examination of the cars in an effort to identify the occupants of the vehicles.

At the time of the incident the police said, 'We think that a Vauxhall Zafira was being followed by a Corsa and a Mondeo as it travelled along Rookery Road. The Zafira then crossed to the wrong side of the road around a 'keep left' bollard and it is at this point that it struck the victim as she crossed the road. All three vehicles sped off after the collision. However the Zafira was found burned out just two hours later in Romulus Close. We have since also recovered the Corsa and the Mondeo and all three vehicles are being forensically examined'.

Following the release of the four men the police said that they were trying to identify the occupants of the vehicles involved and appealed for people that might have been in Rookery Road at the time and seen anything to come forward.

They said, 'This tragic event has brought devastation and loss to a whole family and a larger community who knew and loved Krishna. We know that there were many people on Rookery Road that day, and there will be people we have not spoken to. I would appeal directly to them to come forward. The information you have may seem insignificant to you, but may be the piece of the puzzle we need to identify the occupants of the cars. I would urge those responsible to give themselves up before we come knocking at their door'.