A MAN has been charged in connection with the death of a two-year-old boy after a hit-and-run collision, West Midlands Police said.
The toddler was killed in a crash on Dartmouth Road, in Smethwick, West Mids, just before 11pm on Saturday.
Sharjeel Shahzad, 30, was arrested on Monday, and has now been charged with causing death by dangerous driving.
Shahzad has also been hit with two charges of causing serious injury by dangerous driving, driving while disqualified, driving with no insurance and failing to stop after a collision.
The 30-year-old man and a 29-year-old woman who were in the same vehicle as the boy are still in a serious condition in hospital.
Shahzad has been remanded to appear before Birmingham Magistrates’ Court on Monday, the force said.
It comes after a local campaigner said he had alerted the police to a drifting race meet less than an hour before the tragedy.
Russell George, 53, a safety consultant, said he’d been campaigning for over a decade to end the dangerous and anti-social gatherings of petrol heads.
“I rang the police at 10.20 on Saturday night because the racers were arriving,” he said.
“I went out in my car and the smell of burning was in the air from where they were doing their donuts and breaking.
“It’s been a serious problem for a long time now. I was devastated to hear what had happened but not surprised.
“It’s just really, really sad that it has involved a young child.”
Russell said up to 200 cars gather near blocks of flats off Kenrick Way most weekends for their unofficial “races”.
A teddy bear and a bunch of flowers were attached to railings next to leftover police accident tape.
Tributes have poured in for the youngster.
One woman said: “How tragic. My heart goes out to the poor family who lost their little one. Just heartbreaking.”
Another added: “That little boy has a family, presents for Christmas, a bedroom.”
Police were reportedly contacted about the drifters gathering less than an hour before the fatal collision at 11pm.
Anyone with information can contact the Serious Collision Investigation Unit on email at SCIU@westmidlands.police.uk.
Or, call 101 quoting log 4421 14 December.
