Father of girl, 4, killed in Birmingham calls for action on dangerous drivers
A protest is being held in Highgate close to where the tragedy happened.
Last updated 20th Jul 2024
The father of a four-year-old girl who died after being hit by a car in Birmingham is calling for urgent action to prevent more lives being lost.
Mayar Yahia was walking home with her mother in April, when she was knocked down in Upper Highgate Street.
Two men were arrested at the time on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving, and later released.
Mayar's father Babiker Yahia will join a protest near to the scene of the collision today (20 July), organised by campaign group Better Streets for Birmingham.
Mr Yahia said: "There are no cameras. It does affect people walking and crossing the roads. Something needs to be done to make the streets safe.
"The protest today is so we can all share our voice together, and maybe that will help in the future prevent the same thing from happening."
Today's protest comes after further recent tragedies on the city's roads.
A 52-year-old father was killed in Yardley last month, the third cyclist to die on Birmingham’s streets in the space of a month.
Kevin Carmody from, Better Streets for Birmingham, said: “Many of us from Edgbaston, Harborne and Quinton have to travel through this dangerous area daily.
“We can see ourselves in this cyclist. We know the fear our families feel when we travel through Edgbaston. But the lack of safe infrastructure means we don’t have a choice. So once again we are forced to take to the streets."
Birmingham City Council and the West Midlands Combine Authority are developing new road safety strategies.
Their aim is to achieve Vision Zero, where no-one is killed or seriously injured in a collision on the city's roads.