Brother of nursing student killed by speeding driver opens up on family's heartbreak
Chinenye Okonkwo died in Glasgow after she was hit by an Audi A4 that mounted the pavement as she headed to her part-time job.
The heartbroken brother of a nursing student who was killed by a speeding driver has spoken of his family's heartbreak.
Chinenye Okonkwo, 33, died after she was hit by an Audi A4 that mounted the pavement in Glasgow city centre in February 2023.
She had been waiting to cross the road on her way to a nursing home shift when she was struck and crushed between railings and the front of the car, reports STV.
The driver, Akbar Razaq, had been driving double the 30mph speed limit. He was jailed last week for three years and four months at the High Court in Glasgow after admitting causing death by dangerous driving.
He was also banned from driving for more than eight years.
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Speaking to STV News, Chinenye's brother, Henry, revealed how the incident impacted their family.
He said: "Her dreams being cut short by this unfortunate incident will always remain in our hearts and minds because she truly had a very big dream. Being a nurse, getting a house, and getting that degree was something that she wanted at all costs.
"When you see a young girl with such dreams, you need to support her and help her achieve them, but unfortunately, this happened."
Chinenye, originally from Nigeria, had moved to the UK in 2022 to study Public Health at Glasgow Caledonian University. She recently landed a part-time job in a nursing home in the city's east end.
She was walking on her way to start a shift when she was hit in the fatal crash.
Henry continued: 'We were so happy with her achievements in such a short time, then not even two months later, we lost her.
'It broke my parents, my mum fell ill, my dad, who is in his 70s, also fell ill, and he was so weak. When this news broke to them, they just broke down; everyone was devastated.
'All we could do was try to keep ourselves strong.'
Henry believes his sister got the justice she deserved as the family now begins a healing process.
He said: 'After the hearing, I spoke with my parents and told them the outcome, and I explained it to them, which was really emotional.
'I believe that we have given Chinenye the justice that she deserved.
' Families don't want to remember certain things for a long time, they just want to move away from it and get better, so there is a long way to go but I do believe we can get better.'
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