A LAW student “roundly deserved” to go to prison for his involvement in a high-speed smash that seriously injured a woman motorist, a judge at Bradford Crown Court said.
Ohidul Abedin was at the wheel of a black VW Golf going too fast along Hob Cote Lane in Oakworth, when the crash happened on March 11 last year.
The court heard that Abedin, 21, of Wren Street, Keighley, was following a silver Golf along the narrow road that is bounded by high stone walls.
Both vehicles were travelling at excessive speed when the leading Golf struck a Ford Fiesta coming the other way head-on, shunting its rear-end into the air and pushing it into a wall. Abedin then hit the back of the silver Golf.
Fire broke out at the scene between the two crashed Golfs, the court was told.
Abedin was walking away when he was told that he was being filmed on a phone so he remained there while the police were called.
He went on to plead guilty to dangerous driving at the magistrates’ court.
Abedin’s barrister, Robin Frieze, said he was a hardworking law student who also held down part-time employment.
The crash was almost a year ago and he had been in no trouble before or since.
Sentencing him, Recorder Alistair MacDonald QC said: “It is a complete miracle that no one was killed or very seriously injured.”
The woman driver had to be pulled from the wreckage of her car. She was taken to Leeds General Infirmary by ambulance with severe whiplash and bruising. She had a burn to her pelvis, cuts and an eye injury.
She spoke of being psychologically damaged by the crash, suffering sleepless nights.
She was haunted by the collision, thinking of what could have happened, and her car was a total write-off.
Recorder MacDonald said Abedin had “told a pack of lies” before going on to admit the offence.
Although he “roundly deserved” to go to prison, he was just persuaded not to lock him up immediately because the offence was a one-off and out of character.
Abedin was sentenced to nine months’ imprisonment, suspended for two years.
He was disqualified from driving for 15 months and until he passes an extended retest.
He was ordered to pay the injured driver £1,000 compensation.
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