TikTok : Man jailed after mother and daughter died in crash on A421

Khiana van der Avoird and her mother, Emma, were on the way to her school when they were killed

A van driver has been jailed for killing a mother and daughter when he crashed into their car while high on cocaine and watching TikTok.

Luke Flanagan, 28, ploughed into Emma van der Avoird's car on the A421 in Bedfordshire on 1 November 2021.

Mrs van der Avoird, 55, and her daughter, Khiana, 16, burned to death.

Flanagan admitted causing death by dangerous driving and was sentenced to five years and seven months at Luton Crown Court.

Mrs van der Avoird and Khiana lived in Little Paxton, Cambridgeshire.

When the crash occurred, at about 08:00 GMT, Mrs van der Avoird was driving Khiana to Bedford Modern School.

Relatives said 55-year-old Emma van der Avoird was a "devoted mother"

Prosecutor Martin Mulgrew said Flanagan was "interacting with" TikTok on his phone, which was in a cradle.

He also gave a reading that was almost three times over the legal limit for cocaine, Mr Mulgrew said. Flanagan said he had consumed it two days prior to the crash.

The collision happened about a mile past the Black Cat roundabout near Renhold, where there was queueing traffic.

Dashcam footage showed Mrs van der Avoird braking in her Peugeot 2008. Flanagan was driving behind but did not slow down.

He hit the rear of the car, sending it three to four feet (36 to 48in) in the air.

Luke Flanagan was burned as he tried to free the mother and daughter from the fireball

Judge Michael Simon said: "Almost immediately liquid could be seen flooding out from the offside of the Peugeot and within seconds the liquid ignited and the car burst into flames, with the conflagration extending to the defendant's van as well.

"To his credit, the defendant immediately got out of his van and made attempts to help the driver of the burning car but the heat was so intense that there was nothing he or anyone else could do."

Flanagan, of Skipper Way, Little Paxton, suffered burns to his face as he tried to rescue the mother and daughter from the wreckage.

Mrs van der Avoird's husband and Khiana's dad, Ed, had died from a heart attack aged 54 in 2011.

In a statement at the time of the crash, the victims' relatives said: "Our family is overcome with sadness and grief at Emma and Khiana's death in such tragic circumstances.

"We are devastated that they have been wrenched from us when both of them still had so much living to do.

"We will all miss Emma and Khiana dearly but take some comfort in the fact they have been reunited as a family."

Defending, Alistair MacDonald KC said Flanagan had no previous convictions and had undergone counselling to deal with flashback and symptoms of PTSD.

Flanagan was also banned from driving for four years and nine months.