Man fatally struck in police car chase confirmed to be Nottingham Trent student
Oshada Jasadundera was ‘well respected by his peers and tutors’
Bella FatherleyNottingham Trent University has confirmed that a man who was fatally struck by car being pursued by police in Nottingham city centre was a mature student.
Oshada Jasadundera, 31, was hit in Huntingdon Street and died at the scene in the early hours of 12th December.
The university described him as an “engaged and committed” student confirming that he was currently on its MSc Project management course, reports the BBC.
A spokesperson for the 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 other 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.”
The Sri Lankan High Commission has contacted Jayasundera’s family instructing the relevant officials to take action in order to repatriate his remains.
27-year-old Joshua Gregory is facing four charges, including causing death by dangerous driving and causing death by driving whilst uninsured.
As the vehicle was being pursued by police at the time, the force has referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC). An investigation into the pursuit has now begun.
A spokesperson for the IOPC have said: “We sent our investigators to the police post-incident process and scene to begin gathering information, including initial accounts from the officers involved and other police witnesses.”
“We are also gathering police dashcam and body-worn video footage.We understand that the Focus initially came to the attention of police at about 03:10 GMT but officers lost sight of it.
“A pursuit began when officers in another vehicle spotted the Focus, which subsequently collided with a male pedestrian shortly after 03:20.
“Our thoughts are with all those affected by this tragic incident.”
Feature image via Nottinghamshire Police and Google Maps
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