A RECKLESS driver who knocked down and killed an 18-year-old partygoer has been sentenced to three-and-a- half years in prison.

Katie Whelan was knocked down by Emmanuel Nwokedi, 38, of Windmill Hill, Enfield, when he drove his Smart car down a notorious stretch of the Great North Road while drunk on January 5 at 1.40am.

Miss Whelan had just left a family party at The Queens Arms pub in nearby Barnet.

Nwokedi stopped his car at the scene, where paramedics tried to resuscitate Miss Whelan. She died of her injuries at Barnet Hospital an hour later.

Nwokedi pleaded not guilty to the charges but was jailed yesterday for causing death by careless driving while under the influence of alcohol.

He was disqualified from driving for four years and eight penalty points were added to his licence by a judge at Wood Green Crown Court.

The crash happened on a notorious stretch of road which claimed seven lives in the four months up to January last year.

Jason Howard, 17, was found seriously injured in the back of a stolen car on December 30, 2007, and died the day before Miss Whelan.

At the time of her death, a schoolfriend of Miss Whelan, Anthony Brennan, 19, who worked at The Hair Lounge near the junction where the accident happened, said: "I knew her as a bubbly person. It's shocking this has happened.

"This is a really bad part of the road. Cars go way too fast and too many people are getting hurt.

"There should be speed cameras to slow drivers down because it can be really dangerous."