A speeding driver who was involved in an horrific crash which killed his best friend had been taking drugs on the day of the accident, a coroner ruled yesterday.

Numan Mehmood Sheikh, 23, was a front seat passenger in Javed Rehman's MG ZR car when it smashed into a telegraph pole so violently that it snapped it in two and flung the broken piece 20 meters away into a nearby field.

The Bradford inquest was told that there was a dent one metre deep in the passenger side of the car and Mr Sheikh, of Fernbank Road, Bradford died at the scene of severe head injuries back in February.

The court was told that on the day of the accident Mr Rehman had been with two friends, sisters Lorna and Leanne Butler.

All three of them had been smoking cannabis and taking amphetamines, before they went to pick up Mr Sheikh from Morrison's supermarket in Mayo Avenue, Bradford, where he worked as a security guard.

The four of them were then playing loud music as they sped down Undercliffe Lane on the wrong side of the road when Mr Rehman had to swerve to avoid an oncoming car. He lost control of his vehicle which went into a spin, clipped the curb before crashing into the telegraph pole.

The car then barrel-rolled down the pavement, hit the top of an eight-metre high wall and collided with a lamp post two metres up.

Although seriously injured the other occupants survived the crash, which was witnessed by plumber Kevin Innes who was driving up the road when the car came flying past. Mr Innes told the hearing: "I had just got to the top of the hill and this car was coming towards me at high speed and it just missed me. I looked in the mirror and I saw the underneath of it so I turned around and saw this horrific sight - two young ladies trying to get out of the car and a young man trapped underneath it."

Accident investigator, Robert Crispin, told Coroner Roger Whittaker, that there was no mechanical problems with the car and said that it could have been travelling at about 50mph in what is a 30mph zone to have caused so much damage.

Mr Rehman, 19, a van driver, of Gladstone Street, Bradford, denied he had been exceeding the speed limit and when he was interviewed by police denied he had taken any drugs despite the fact traces of cannabis and amphetamines were found in his blood and urine.

Recording a verdict of accidental death, Mr Whittaker said that in his view Mr Rehman had been giving "wrong

evidence" for his own self-interest.

He added: "Both Butler daughters made statements after the incident the following day. From those statements it's quite clear they had spent several hours in the car with Mr Rehman before picking up Mr Sheikh. They Lorna and Leanne Butler indicated that during that time they had taken cannabis and amphetamines.

"That was denied by Mr Rehman, it was denied by both girls today, but I accept that had all consumed both these particular drugs. That would impair the judgement of anybody driving a motor vehicle."

The hearing was also told that no criminal charges are to be brought against Mr Rehman.