Drunk hit and run driver jailed for 12 years for killing pedestrian in Tottenham
Javier Salazar, 40 from Chadwell Heath, had been drinking at a party in Wood Green before driving on the wrong side of the road
A drunk hit-and-run driver who mowed down a 62-year-old pedestrian while speeding on the wrong side of the road has been jailed for 12 years.
Javier Salazar, 40, had been drinking beer, tequila and wine at a party before he got behind the wheel of his van on the night of Saturday June 26 2022.
He had already reversed into a tipper truck and driven off before he struck Irishman Derek Kernan as he crossed a road in Tottenham, north London.
Salazar claimed he had been fleeing for his life after being pursued, threatened and attacked by the occupants of the tipper truck.
The prosecution disputed his version of events and asserted he had driven off to avoid giving his details after the initial collision.
Salazar was found guilty of causing Mr Kernan's death by dangerous driving and jailed for 12 years at the Old Bailey on Wednesday.
Sentencing, Judge Alexia Durran rejected Salazar's claims about events leading up to the collision.
She told him: "In short, you drove away because you knew you had been drinking and did not want to get out of the van and speak with the other driver which would have shown him you were drunk.
"So you drove away not in fear for your life - but in fear of your licence."
Salazar, of Chadwell Heath, east London, was also disqualified from driving for 18 years.
Victim's family came over from Ireland for the trial - loss "still a shock"
Mr Kernan was originally from Dublin and his family had travelled from Ireland to attend the Old Bailey in central London for the trial.
In a victim impact statement, his brother Desmond Kernan said: "Derek was a good person and would always be a good laugh to be around."
His loss was still a "shock" as the family had been deprived of the chance to say a "proper goodbye" to him, he said.
Sister Shirley Wade said that the family had lost another brother to cancer a couple of months before Derek's death.
She said: "When our brother Giles passed, Derek and I said we would meet more often, as I live in Ireland, and to be there for each other. Now I don't have that opportunity."
Brother-in-law Leslie Wade said: "Sitting through this trial has for us been a nightmare.
"We have had to hear and see Derek's last moments in fine detail which has been extremely traumatic but the importance of this we know was necessary.
"Thank you to all those that have helped get justice for Derek."
Friend Alvin Hughes said Mr Kernan's death had not just affected the Irish community but all those he had helped, from doing odd jobs for the elderly to getting people jobs in construction.
He said: "Derek was a very hard-working man who rose for work at 6am and always had a smile on his face, time for a laugh and would make the day a joy for everyone around him."
Police and paramedics arrived but Mr Kernan had suffered catastrophic head injuries and died at the scene.
"I am really sorry for everything that has happened."
Following Salazar's arrest, a breath test found that the defendant was more than two-and-a-half times over the drink-drive limit.
Giving evidence, married father-of-three Salazar said he had drunk beer, tequila and wine at the party before getting behind the wheel of the van he had bought to open a cleaning company.
On how he felt about the death of an "innocent man", he said: "I feel really bad.
"I have my own family and it would be very painful if that happened.
"I am really sorry for everything that has happened."