A family was torn apart when a much loved mum was mowed down and killed while out for an evening stroll - by a danger driver in a rush to get home from work.

Popular fish and chip shop owner Ranjit Grewal, known as Rani, was enjoying a walk on a spring night with her husband and sister-in-law when her life was cruelly snatched away "for absolutely no reason".

Mrs Grewal, 49, who had owned Bunty's Chip Shop, in Newbiggin Hall, with her husband, Jatinder, for more than 20 years, was on a path in Spital Tongues, Newcastle, when tragedy struck last April.

Uninsured driver Ionut Mihai  was on his way home from work when he carried out a double overtaking manoeuvre on a 30mph road approaching a blind bend during "15 seconds of madness", having previously been driving in a safe manner.

After he swerved back into the correct lane, he hit a car edging out of a junction then careered into the family on the path.

As Mihai was jailed for five years and three months, Mr Grewal, said in a victim impact statement read to Newcastle Crown Court : "On April 16 2018 my world was turned upside down.

"What was supposed to be a short walk on a pleasant spring evening, turned out to alter the course of my life and my familiy's.

"I'm a businessman running a fish and chip shop, where I worked with my wife and we were partners in the business. Now I have the burden of running the business, as well as the home and my family, and this has caused great strain on me.

"We always worked as a team and I feel I have lost the biggest part of my life."


Mr Grewal said the death has had a devastating impact on their three children, the youngest of whom is 14.

He added: "I hope the driver of the car who killed Rani fully understands the devastation he has caused to our family.

"He has caused the unnecessary death of my wife, who was doing no more than enjoying an evening walk.

"This driver showed a total disregard for anyone else by the manner of his driving that night. I hope any sentence he receives reflects the damage he has caused to my family."

The court heard it was just after 7pm on Monday April 16 last year that Mihai was driving his Seat Toledo, with two passengers inside, along 30mph Hunter's Road, in Spital Tongues, towards Ponteland Road.

Mrs Grewal was walking west on the north side path with her husband and sister-in-law and a woman was edging out into the road in a Ford Fiesta at at the junction with Fountain Row,

Mihai was going too fast - between 46mph and 49mph - to avoid a collision with the Fiesta as he pulled in after the double overtaking move.

He struck the Fiesta, causing his car to career out of control, mounting the kerb and colliding with the three pedestrians before re-entering the road and hitting another car.

Emergency services were called but Mrs Grewal had sustained unsurvivable injuries and was in cardiac arrest.

The court heard she died from severe chest and abdominal injuries. She had 35 rib fractures, a fractured spine and multiple pelvic fractures.

Her husband also suffered serious injuries consistent with him having been swept off his feet onto the bonnet with his head hitting the windscreen, including multiple facial fractures, a fractured shoulder and lacerations and abrasions.

Jaswinder Kaur Nagra, Mr Grewal's sister, suffered a broken left leg which required surgery.


Mrs Kaur, 48,  said in her victim impact statement: "She was not just my sister-in-law but one of my best friends and since the collision that killed her, I've been left with a massive void in my life.

"I still have flashbacks to the collision and the memories are so strong and hurtful I can't go anywhere near the scene anymore.

"This has devastated the whole family and her children have been left without a mother at an important time in their lives."

She added: "This collision should never have happened and was totally avoidable had the driver thought about their actions.

"I often feel guilty that there were three of us and only Rani was killed. I think about that every day.

"The driver had a responsibility that day and his total disregard has had a devastating effect on my family. I hope he is remorseful for his actions and that his sentence reflects the damage he has done."

The manner of Mihai's driving in the moments before the collision was captured on CCTV.

He overtook a Vauxhall Corsa and then a VW Transporter on a blind bend at the junction with Fountain Row, with witnesses describing his driving as "dangerous, reckless and irresponsible". A motorist coming the other way had to brake sharply to avoid a head-on collision.

Mihai sharply turned his steering wheel to try to get back on the correct side of the road but then smashed into the Fiesta which was edging slowly out.

In interview, he admitted he had been doing around 45mph, saying he had been in a hurry to get home from work. He said he had no insurance as he couldn't afford it.


Prosecutor Neil Pallister said: "The primary cause of the collision was excessive speed and the unsafe overtaking manoeuvre which gave him inadequate time to see the Fiesta."

Mihai, of Claremount South Avenue, Gateshead, pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving, causing death by driving while uninsured and two counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving. As well as the prison sentence, he was banned from driving for five years and eight months.

Judge Jonathan Carroll said the case was a tragedy, adding: "For absolutely no reason at all, she was deprived of her life and the family have been deprived of her love and support."

The judge emphasised the driver of the Fiesta was entirely blameless, telling Mihai: "This was all entirely avoidable and entirely down to your driving."

Judge Carroll called for the Highways Agency to look at the road where the fatal accident happened to see if improvements could be made to make it safer

Richard Bloomfield, defending, said: "This can only be characterised as a serious error of judgement, he overtook at a speed which was significantly above an appropriate speed.

"That left him in a position where he couldn't avoid the collision with the vehicle creeping out.

"I'm instructed on his behalf to say he expresses his apologies and sorrow for the great devastation he caused that evening."

He added: "He is otherwise a thoroughly decent, respectable young man with a good work ethic.

"He was in a hurry to get home after a long working day but he will carry with him for the rest of his days what happened.

"He has flashbacks to the accident and he can't face driving at the moment and thinks he never will again."

After the case, Sergeant Craig Bartle, of Northumbria Police's Motor Patrols Department, said: “Ranjit was a popular figure who was loved by many and her death had a huge impact on her local community.

“She went out on a stroll with her family but never made it home and the person responsible for that was stood in the dock today.

“The defendant was uninsured but the majority of his driving that evening appeared to be quite responsible.

“He has then had 15 seconds of madness where he has hit the accelerator and attempted two dangerous, high-speed overtake manoeuvres.

“Mihai has lost control of the vehicle and hit Ranjit and her family but unlike his victim he was able to walk away without any serious injuries.

“The devastation he has caused cannot be put into words. He has robbed a community of a fantastic woman but also robbed a family of a loving wife and mother.