The family of a Sri Lankan student who was killed in a crash on the A60 Huntingdon Street in the United Kingdom (UK) say their hearts are ‘heavy with grief’.
Oshada Jayasudera, a 31-year-old postgraduate Nottingham Trent University student, thought to have studied Project Management, died in the early hours of Wednesday, December 13.
He was hit by a car which was being pursued by police shortly after 3am. Nottinghamshire Police has referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct, the police watchdog.
Paying tribute to Jayasudera, who was from Sri Lanka, his family said: “Our hearts are heavy with grief as we come to terms with this unfortunate incident. We hope that no-one will have to endure such an unfortunate tragedy in the future.
“As we grieve deeply, we earnestly hope for justice to prevail in this matter in honour of Oshada’s memory.” Oshada was described by Nottingham Trent University as an ‘engaged and committed’ student who was well respected by his peers and tutors.
A spokesperson for Nottingham Trent University said: “We are saddened to hear about the death of NTU postgraduate student, Oshada Jayasundera, and our thoughts are with his family and friends at this difficult time. Oshada was an engaged and committed student who was well respected by his peers and tutors.
“He was keen to support others across the postgraduate community and his compassion, concern and kindness shone through. We know that he will be missed by those who knew him and we are offering support to all students and colleagues who have been affected.”
Joshua Gregory, 27, and of Westfield Road in Kirkby-in-Ashfield, has been charged with four offences.
The charges include causing death by dangerous driving, causing death by driving whilst uninsured, failure to stop after a road accident, and failure to provide a specimen for analysis. He has been remanded into police custody and will next appear at Nottingham Crown Court on January 12.
Huntingdon Street was closed for several hours while the investigations were carried out. (Nottingham Post)