A TEENAGER who seriously injured a minicab driver when he slammed into his vehicle at more than 70mph has been locked up for six months.

Arshad Khan was at the wheel of an Audi A3 that was "smashed to bits" in the impact on Leeds Road, Bradford, at 2am on August 6 last year.

Mohammed Omar, a cabbie with Euro Cars Taxis who was off-duty at the time, had pulled out of a side street in his VW Passat after buying a takeaway.

He was doing just 5mph and suffered a broken back and three fractured ribs in the crash.

Khan, 19, of Park Crescent, Undercliffe, Bradford, pleaded guilty to causing serious injury by dangerous driving and driving without insurance.

Prosecutor Jayne Beckett told Bradford Crown Court he got into the Audi A3 on the forecourt of the Shell petrol station on Leeds Road.

The car's owner, Imran Ali, allowed him to sit in the car for about 15 minutes.

Suddenly, Khan started the engine and drove off towards Bradford city centre, with another man in the passenger seat.

Mr Ali followed in a Vauxhall Corsa and after quarter of a mile saw his car "smashed to bits" in the road.

Khan had got out but his passenger was still in the car, holding his neck.

Mr Omar, who was not wearing a seatbelt, was pushed into the passenger seat by the force of the impact.

He was taken to hospital with pain to his chest, back and legs.

His injuries included three broken ribs and two broken vertebrae in his lower back.

Khan made no comment to the police but was caught by saliva he left on the Audi's airbag that matched his DNA.

Mrs Beckett said CCTV footage showed he was doing about 72mph in a 30 zone.

"The A3 suddenly comes into view, going at an extremely fast speed, overtakes two taxis and piles into the offside of the VW Passat. It was such a severe impact that the Audi's back wheels leave the road and both vehicles spin round," she said.

Khan was overtaking on a pelican crossing, paying no heed to other vehicles on the road and he had a passenger with him," Mrs Beckett added.

Khan's barrister, Chloe Hudson, said: "He is devastated by what happened. It was a foolish, stupid thing to do."

He had been studying occupational therapy at Bradford University but failed his exams.

He then got a job at Leeds General Infirmary, delivering hospital equipment, but lost it because he needed to drive.

Khan now had work at a takeaway in Rotherham.

"He comes from a hard working family who are extremely disappointed by what he has done," Miss Hudson said.

Judge Colin Burn told Khan: "Any dangerous driving resulting in serious injury means that custody is inevitable."

Khan was banned from driving for two years and three months.