A DRIVER who took “at least twenty lines of cocaine” before killing a three-year-old girl in a tram crash has been jailed.

Louisa Palmisano was walking in Manchester when a van driven by Rawal Rehman ricocheted off a tram and ploughed into her

Young girl sitting in a chair, eating a pastry.
Louisa was on a family day out when she was killed
Credit: PA

CCTV image of Rehman walking away.
Rehman was captured fleeing the scene
The youngster – known as Lulu – tragically couldn’t be saved and died shortly after the horror in February.

Rehman, 35, was today jailed for 12 years at Manchester Crown Court after he admitted causing death by dangerous driving.

The horror unfolded on February 22 as Lulu walked on Mosley Street just before 10am during a visit to Manchester with her parents.

Prosecutor Rachel Shenton said Rehman had taken the drugs and visited two massage parlours in the hours before the crash.

He then smashed his white Mercedes-Benz van into a tram, then mounted the pavement and was “propelled” towards the youngster.

The court heard Lulu was holding her mum’s hand and wearing a baby harness at the time.

Her mum described her daughter being dragged under the van, which she said is a sight that will haunt her forever.

Rehman initially fled the scene after he “panicked” but was later arrested.

Footage showed police storming into his bedroom and pinning him to the ground as he yelled: “I’m sorry, I’m sorry”.

The court was told he previously spent three years in jail after he torched a car involved in another fatal hit-and-run crash.

Lulu’s parents paid tribute to the little girl, saying: “Louisa (Lulu) was the sweetest, kindest, and most generous little girl.

“She was full of creativity and joy, and she absolutely loved going to nursery every day.

“Her absence has left a devastating void in our family—she was our only child, our whole world.

“We were simply enjoying a happy family day out in Manchester when this unimaginable tragedy struck. In an instant, our lives were shattered beyond repair.

“The pain of losing her is unbearable, and we miss her more than words can ever express.”

Mugshot of Rawal Rehman.

Rawal Rehman’s van ricocheted off a tram and ploughed into Louisa
Credit: MEN Media

Police officers at the scene of a tram and van accident.
The youngster was taken to hospital but couldn’t be saved
Credit: Alamy