Her husband saw police cars and knew something was wrong - in an instant, his world fell apart
05.05.2023 - 05:23
/ manchestereveningnews.co.uk
Ibizugbe Joy Ikponnmwen was just 38. She had dreams of becoming a mother and aspired to train as a nurse or a teacher.
What started out as a normal day ended in tragedy. She never made it home after going shopping and to work.
A man in a Mercedes G Wagon mowed her down at high speed as she crossed the road on the evening of October 25, 2021. Ibizugbe sustained such catastrophic injuries she died that same night.
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Mohammed Chowdhury, 22, was behind the wheel of the car. In the minutes leading up to the fatal crash, he reached 'excessive' speeds of around 80 mph along Alan Turing Way. The limit along the busy main road is 30mph.
Ibizugbe thought it was safe to cross. As she stepped out, Chowdhury, who was the phone, attempted to brake. It was already too late.
In a powerful victim impact statement read in court, Ibizugbe's heartbroken widow spoke of his anguish and the moment his life 'ended forever'. He saw police at the scene of the crash on his way to a late shift at work and knew something was wrong.
"It was a normal day like any other, my wife and I went shopping then I took her to work. When she got out of the car, she said goodbye. Little did I know that would be the last time I would see her," he said.
It was later that same evening that Mr Ikponnwmen was leaving for a late shift at work when he noticed the huge police scene. He tried to call his Ibizugbe, but she didn’t answer, causing him to panic.
The pair had first met at Salford University and had been together for ten years. They were planning to raise a family and have a baby through IVF treatment. Ibizugbe also had aspirations to become a teacher or a nurse.
"As I was leaving for