The family of a father of four left with brain damage after a horror car crash have spoken out about the impact of reckless and dangerous driving, and say he has been “stripped of his independence”.
Dexter Charles, 54, was the passenger in a BMW which hit and killed pedestrian Ahmed Moneer in a 92mph crash on the North Circular, before crashing into a house.
The disqualified driver, Ali Xhaferri, 43, was jailed at the Old Bailey earlier this month for ten and a half years after he admitted causing death and serious injury by dangerous driving.
Mr Charles, a garage worker who was born in Grenada, spent eight months in hospital after the 2022 crash, recovering from a brain injury, a fractured skull and damage to his lungs. He now needs a wheelchair, has memory and speech difficulties, is under the care of a specialist brain injury unit, and has lost some of the functioning in his arms, shoulders, and hands.
His uncle, Norman Desouza, said: “Life has been incredibly difficult since that day. As I watched Dexter fight for his life in hospital, I couldn’t help but wonder that even if he survived the life he knew and enjoyed would be taken from him. The devastating impact of the crash has not only robbed him of his physical abilities, but has also cast a shadow over his future.”
He added:“Before the crash, Dexter was a laid-back and happy-go-lucky person who enjoyed the simple things in life. Sadly, all that has changed. He’s been completely stripped of his independence and it’s been a real struggle for us all to come to terms with that.
“Even now, I still hope that I’ll wake up one day and it’s all been a bad dream but I know that’s not possible. All I can do for Dexter now is make his life as comfortable as it can be. The rehabilitation he’s received has helped greatly and we’ll be forever grateful for that.
“I just hope that by sharing Dexter’s story, I can make others aware of how dangerous it can be on the roads. Dexter’s life was irreversibly altered by the reckless actions of another, and I wouldn’t want anyone else to suffer like he has.”
Mr Charles and his family have hired serious injury law firm Irwin Mitchell to help them access care and treatment, which he is likely to need for the rest of his life.
