Driver found guilty of hit-and-run manslaughter of Bedford pedestrian

A driver has been convicted of manslaughter after a hit-and run-incident that left a Bedford pedestrian with fatal injuries.

Karan Soni was found guilty in connection to the incident in Luton, in November 2021, which led to the death of Mr Piper.

The court heard that Tola Piper, 34, was running alongside a silver Nissan Micra down Dewsbury Road.

A black Vauxhall Insignia drove behind them and hit Mr Piper before colliding with the Micra.

Both vehicles had left the scene prior to emergency services arriving, but Mr Piper was pronounced dead by paramedics a short time later.

Drugs, cash and a machete were found nearby, along with a Vauxhall badge.

Enquiries identified Soni, 27, of Birchwood Avenue, Hatfield, as the registered driver of the Insignia, and he was arrested the following day and subsequently charged with murder.

When the vehicle was seized by police, it was found the Vauxhall badge was missing and the vehicle had suffered damage to its offside panel, which was consistent with it colliding with the Micra.

Soni had previously pleaded not guilty to murder at an earlier court hearing, and after a two-week trial at Luton Crown Court, he was found guilty of manslaughter on Friday (October 21).

He also pleaded guilty to possessing Class A drugs with the intent to supply at court, which was related to the incident.

He will be sentenced at a later date.

Detective Chief Inspector Sam Khanna from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit, said: “Sadly, Soni’s actions that day caused a man to lose his life.

“I am pleased with the verdict and hopefully Soni will receive a suitable sentence for all the pain he has inflicted on Mr Piper’s family and loved ones, as well as the horror he brought to innocent people who were going about their day and saw this awful incident unfold in front of them.”