JAILED: Danger driver seriously injured three people in Manningham crash

Raees Hussain, 22, was behind the wheel of a black VW Jetta on Queens Road in Manningham, when he overtook other cars waiting at the traffic lights at twice the speed limit.

As he crossed the junction, he hit a Citroen C3 Picasso “broadside”, flipping it over and trapping a female passenger inside.

The crash happened at around 10pm on February 6, 2020, and left the driver and two passengers with a number of serious injuries that required surgery.

Hussain, of Rayner Avenue, Bradford, admitted three counts of causing serious injury by driving dangerously, and was jailed for 28 months.

He was also disqualified from driving for three years upon release.

Raees Hussain. Picture: West Yorkshire Police

Judge David Hatton QC described Hussain’s driving as “appalling”, and said it was fortunate no one had died.

Bradford Crown Court heard how the driver of the Citroen suffered a broken ankle which required surgery, as well as injuries to his neck and chest.

His daughter, the front seat passenger, was unconscious and only came round in the hospital, where her injuries including a small bleed on the brain and damaged tendons in a hand, as well as neck injuries.

The rear seat passenger, the driver’s son-in-law, was initially unconscious, but came round and climbed out of the vehicle. He suffered a broken left arm and pelvis, as well as a fractured leg and required a number of operations.

The crash on Queens Road, Manningham, in February 2020. Picture: T&A reader Mr Khan

The prosecutor described how driver Michel Abbass initially feared his daughter Eladie Abassa and son-in-law Martin McCormick were both dead as he called out to them following the crash and received no reply.

She said, in a statement Mr Abbass said he was travelling at about 20mph when his vehicle was hit. His car, bought for £3,600, was written off.

The court also heard how a witness described seeing the black car coming towards her “really fast” and pulled over to the side of the road in order to avoid a collision.

Following the crash she saw a group of men go over to the Citroen and tip it back onto its wheels.

In interview Hussain told officers he had travelled from Coventry to Bradford earlier in the day to pick up car parts, and had been in the car with his cousin and a friend.

“At the time of the collision they were both telling him to slow down,” the prosecutor said. He was said to be “showing off” to the other two in the car and had moved into the right turn lane to overtake the two cars waiting at the red lights.

He estimated he was travelling at 50 to 60mph, she added.

In Hussain’s defence, the court was told: “This is obviously a case of very serious dangerous driving with horrendous results.

“He accepts what he did was an incredibly stupid thing to do.”

He added that Hussain had no previous convictions, had a driving licence and was insured, and was not driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. He also did not fail to stop at the scheme. “He was and is still remorseful,” he said.

The Judge added: “During the course of the night you, with two passengers onboard your vehicle, drove in an alarming manner. Impatient to wait behind two vehicles that were quite properly waiting for the red traffic light to turn in their favour, you move to their offside and you yourself travelled through the red light at on your own estimation approximately twice the speed limit for that part of the road.

“In doing so you collided broadside with a vehicle that was legitimately travelling across the junction causing three occupants all to suffer serious injury.

“You were, as you accepted to the police, quite clearly showing off and it seems you were ignoring the pleas of your passengers to slow down. It was an appalling piece of driving and it is indeed fortunate that no death resulted as it might readily have done.”