by Cherry Wilson

cherry.wilson@essnmedia.co.uk

A FUGITIVE bus driver who killed a passenger after crashing into a tram in Croydon town centre has been tracked down and jailed.

Raouf Mraidi, 30, escaped justice after fleeing to France to avoid facing a charge of causing death by dangerous driving at Croydon Crown Court in December.

He was found guilty of killing Andrzej Karcz, 28, from South Croydon, in his absence and sentenced to four years in jail.

The 30-year-old had his French passport confiscated ahead of his trial, but as an EU national he was able to travel between countries using an ID card.

Officers from the Metropolitan Police worked with French officials to track down Mraidi and he was traced to an address in Lyon on May 26.

He appealed against his extradition to Britain which was turned down and he was ordered out of the country on July 7.

Mraidi appeared in Croydon Crown Court today (Friday) where he was ordered to complete his prison sentence.

He was also sentenced to an extra four months in jail for failing to appear in court for his original trial.

Mr Karcz was killed when he was thrown out of the front window of a double decker bus, driven by Mraidi, after it crashed into a tram in George Street on September 7, 2008.

The court heard the crash happened because Mraidi had driven through a red light.

PC Ian Payne, of the Road Death Investigation Unit in Catford, said: "We have remained committed to bringing this man to justice and today's extradition means that he will finally serve his prison sentence.

"Mraidi made the decision to flee the country and not face the consequences of his actions. Through our continued investigation and the assistance of the French authorities we were able to trace him.

"Mr Karcz died needlessly in a devastating traffic collision and I hope that today his family will gain some small comfort from the knowledge that Mraidi is finally serving his sentence."