An epileptic student who was ordered not to drive by doctors has been jailed after ploughing into a pedestrian in London's West End.
Sunainah Amber, 23, sent two people to hospital with serious injuries when she lost control of the vehicle in the midst of a fit in November 2024.
Amber was told she must not get behind the wheel after she was diagnosed with epilepsy in July 2024, following a fit at home.
But just four months later, she was driving her mother's car with a friend Aysha Cheema in the passenger seat through Piccadilly Circus, and she was struck with a fit.
Southwark Crown Court heard the Toyota Yaris mounted the pavement, smashing into pedestrian Marlon Villerreal and knocking him into the Horse of Helios fountain.
Other members of the public had to leap out of the way as the car accelerated forward, before crashing into a lamppost outside the Angus Steakhouse restaurant.
Just before the crash, Ms Cheema, who was friends with Amber after they studied aerospace engineering together at St Mary's University, had cried out for help.
She even tried to open the car door in a desperate bid to escape the out-of-control vehicle.
Sunainah Amber, 23, caused two people serious injuries when she crashed during an epileptic fit, after being told she must not drive
She suffered a fractured leg in the subsequent crash, while Mr Villerreal was left with cuts, bruises, and bleeding on his brain.
Amber, from Islington, pleaded guilty to two counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving, and was sentenced by Judge Alexander Milne KC to two years and eight months in prison.
The judge said Amber was 'in the midst of an epileptic fit' when her driving became erratic, and she 'may not have fully appreciated the very realistic fear of her passenger'.
He was encouraged by Amber's barrister to spare her a spell in prison, but concluded: 'It was clearly a deliberate choice to disregard the information given to her by her doctor.'
'You are fortunate you did not kill people that day, it's as simple as that', he told Amber.
'You are lucky it wasn't far worse.'
Amber, who was on an accountancy graduate scheme prior to sentencing, will serve just over a year in prison before she is eligible for parole, and she is banned from driving for the next three years and four months.
The court heard she suffered an epileptic fit at home on July 7, 2024, when she was woken by her sister, after hearing her crying and shouting 'no, no, no' while shaking.
The subsequent diagnosis and doctor's letter set out that she could not drive for the next year and must inform the DVLA of her medical condition.
But she ignored the instructions and, on November 12, 2024, Amber was driving Ms Cheema along Regent's Street, Coventry Street, and towards Piccadilly Circus.
At a set of traffic lights near to the famous landmark, Ms Cheema was heard shouting out of the window for help and she opened the door, but the car accelerated forward before she could escape.
The vehicle then mounted the pavement and struck Mr Villerreal before crashing outside the restaurant packed with diners at just before 7pm.
Ms Cheema gave a statement to the court, setting out how she suffered months of pain as a result of the broken leg and was 'left in a constant state of fear and psychological distress'.
The court heard Amber blamed 'immaturity' for the decision to keep driving after her diagnosis, and she has written to Ms Cheema to apologise.
She entered guilty pleas to the two charges when she first appeared in court in November last year, and was sentenced this week.