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SL mother killed in hit and run in London
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A mother-of-two who died in a hit and run crash fled Sri Lanka’s civil war eight years ago and had only recently been reunited with her husband and daughter in London.
Subahari Sothilingam, 44, was struck by a silver C-class Mercedes outside her home in Hendon on her way to work at 6am yesterday.
She suffered multiple head injuries and died in hospital shortly afterwards.
Mrs Sothilingam, a caterer, moved to London in 2006 at the height of the Government clampdown against Tamils in her island homeland.
Her husband Sothilingam Selathurai stayed behind while their two children completed their education.
Mr Selathurai, 44, and their daughter Hamsana, 18, came to the capital in October. Their son Vasanth, 22, is still in Sri Lanka finishing his computer science studies.
The car was on the stretch of the A5 in West Hendon when it hit Mrs Sothilingam as she crossed the busy road to catch a bus to Royal Park.
The car did not stop and drove off towards Edgware Road and the North Circular.
Her husband, who does not speak English, told the Standard today of his family’s devastation.
Speaking through a relative, he said: “There is nothing that can be done now, it’s all finished. I left her for eight years when she came to England and joined her five months ago.
“It was always her dream for us to all be together.”
The couple met in 1992 while still at school in Hatton, in southern Sri Lanka, and was together for 14 years before Mrs Sothilingam travelled to the UK to join relatives in London.
Her husband added: “We were together from school, she was my sweetheart. It was a very loving marriage. Even for eight years we were apart, we were in love.”
Her niece Paarkavi Jegatheeswaran, 21, said: “My aunt was a family-orientated person and she was very talkative. She was very popular and well-liked.
“We are a close family and she was always checking on us to make sure we were okay. She was always happiest surrounded by her family.
“She was on the way to work when she was hit. It’s the same route she’s taken every working day for the last few years. It was completely normal for her to go to work at that time and has made the journey so many times.”
Neighbours in Hendon West Broadway said the road was closed for several hours. Debris from the front of the car was found lying in the road several hundred yards away by investigators.
A man in his forties, who would not be named, said: “The lady was lying in the road and then the ambulance turned up soon afterwards. I counted 10 police cars.”
Police today appealed for witnesses to come forward.
Detective Sergeant Stephen Pidgeon said: “There were a number of people who may have witnessed the events in the lead up to the collision or the actual collision itself. If anyone does have any information I urge them to come forward and help us with our investigation.”
A 26-year-old man handed himself in to police last night and was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous by driving and failing to stop at the scene of an accident. He was bailed until April. (London Evening Standard)
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