A STUDENT who seriously injured his friend when he drove straight over a crossroads into the path of another car has been spared an immediate prison sentence.

Raihan Hossain was going too fast in his father’s BMW 3-Series when he failed to see the Give Way sign and white lines across the road, Bradford Crown Court heard on Monday.

Hossain, 22, of Catherine Street, Keighley, smashed into a Honda with a mother and young child in it and span into a parked vehicle injuring his rear seat passenger, Sohail Khan.

Hossain pleaded guilty to causing serious injury by dangerous driving at the junction of Marsh Lane and Moorside Lane, Oxenhope, Keighley, on November 2, 2017.

Prosecutor David McGonigal said Hossain’s car struck the front of the Honda driven by Sarah McLellan whose ten-month-old child was in the car.

People who saw Hossain driving down Marsh Lane shortly before the crash said he was going up to 60mph on the rural road with a 30mph speed limit. One witness saw the BMW’s suspension “bottoming out” because of the speed.

The front of Miss McLellan’s car was badly damaged. Her child was checked over in hospital but both mother and baby were unharmed.

Mr Khan sustained fractures to his vertebra after the BMW ended up right over the junction on Lee Lane.

Hossain blamed Miss McLellan at the accident scene, saying he was “creeping out” of the junction when she collided with his car.

Mr Khan was in hospital for a week and then needed a spinal brace. In January last year, he was reported to be healing well and Hossain had since kicked a football about with him, the court was told.

Miss McLellan was now a more nervous driver, Mr McGonigal said.

Ian Howard, Hossain’s barrister, said he did charitable work and was of previous good character.

It was “a tragic accident” that had put his career on hold.

Hossain was very remorseful and had not driven since the collision.

“The consequences were severe but nothing he did was deliberate,” Mr Howard said.

Judge Robert Bartfield sentenced Hossain to 12 months imprisonment, suspended for two years, with 200 hours of unpaid work.

He was banned from driving for two years and must take an extended retest before he drives again.

The judge said Hossain disregarded the Give Way sign and the white lines across the road.

“You ignored the lot and ploughed on at 60mph,” he said.

He could have killed Miss McLellan and her child.

“A split second either way and they both could have been consigned to the next world,” Judge Bartfield said.

But he was prepared to take an exceptional course because of Hossain’s genuine remorse and the fact that he had injured his close friend. Hossain did not know it was a 30mph limit, he wasn’t racing and he made no attempt to leave the crash scene.

He was a normally caring and sensitive man with a good future ahead of him.

“This is your first ever offence and I am confident it will be the last one,” Judge Bartfield said.