The parents of a nine-year-old girl fatally run over by a bus driver who was high on drugs in south London have told of their heartbreak.
Nevgül and Bora Bicakci said their grief is still “immense” a year on from the death of their daughter Ada.
The school pupil was killed after she was hit by a double-decker bus on Watling Street in Bexleyheath at 9am on Saturday, August 3 last year.
Martin Asolo-Ogugua, the bus driver, was jailed for four years and disqualified from driving for seven years at Woolwich Crown Court earlier this month.
He admitted causing death by dangerous driving and driving whilst unfit through drugs.
Asolo-Ogugua, 23, who failed a drug test at the scene because he had taken cannabis the night before, only passed his driving test in 2023 and drove TfL buses for less than a year.
However, his brief spell behind the wheel racked up numerous complaints — including occasions when he damaged the bus by hitting vehicles.
Asolo-Ogugua, of Banfield Road in Southwark, was even briefly suspended following an incident two months before the crash when he stopped too abruptly, causing a child passenger to fall on the floor.
One the day of Ada’s death, footage from inside the bus showed Asolo-Ogugua yawning, his eyes closing and the bus swerving onto the pavement.
Meanwhile, Ada had been cycling on the pavement on her way to gymnastics, alongside her five-year-old brother, who was on a scooter, and her father Bora, who was also on a bike.
A year after Ada’s death, the horrific moment of the crash is still seared into Bora's memory.
He told The News Shopper: “The sound of the tyres hitting the curb. Looking back and seeing Ada's body bouncing between the bus and the wall.
“Holding her in my lap. Her broken lungs struggling for every breath. Her eyes fading. Her brother behind me, shocked by fear.
“The bus drifting away. People stopping by to help. Sam stepping in. Hope and then sadness.”
Ada, a Turkish and British national, was rushed to a nearby hospital where despite the best efforts of medical professionals she died two days later.
Nevgül said just weeks before she was killed, Ada donated her hair to the Little Princess Trust saying “everyone should have hair”.
And following her death, Ada's organs were donated to help six other children which the parents said was a “testament to her giving spirit”.
Nevgül said: “I lost my angel. My Smile. Flutter of my heart. My closest friend. The most beautiful days of my life are the mother and daughter days I spent with Ada.”
She added: “The images of that horrific moment remain seared into my mind. That scene replays endlessly, a constant reminder of the day my world fractured beyond repair.
“This tragedy happened on my watch, a father's ultimate failure. My world has been turned upside down, and with it, the foundations of my family have crumbled.
“My darling Ada. Our thanks are not enough to show our gratitude for you. We will honour your name with acts of magnitude. You will never be forgotten.
“We will make this story one of love and thanks that we owe everybody. Your presence, and passing, will leave a mark in this country and we will fight to make drug driving a part of its history.”
Mr and Mrs Bicakci said while Asolo-Ogugua is behind bars, they believe that the sentence is “unduly lenient”.
The family are now calling for a “meaningful” change to stop further road deaths by ensuring better safety for pedestrians in the capital.
They said: “This senseless act, rooted in driver negligence and systemic failures, ignited our unyielding fight to ensure a safer future for all.
“Beyond honouring Ada's name, we intend to pursue meaningful change from TfL and the government as well as our community to ensure a safer future for all.”
