Supercar smash driver jailed

TRAGEDY: Hamza Gujjar was pronounced dead at the scene following the horror smash

Teenager high on cannabis killed three of his friends in high-speed crash

A teenager ‘high on cannabis’ who killed three of his friends in a horror sports car smash after reaching speeds of up to 120mph has been jailed for six years on the day of his 18th birthday.

Boy racer, Arayeb Saqib, admitted causing the death of three of his friends while driving an Audi S5 so fast it became airborne.

Hours after they had attended a family wedding, Saqib - who was 17 at the time and who did not hold a driving licence - got behind the wheel of a hired super performance sports car with his four friends.

Saqib, who turned 18 today, bowed his head in the dock as he was told that his driving during the early hours of 27th April had been the ‘worst case of causing death by dangerous driving’ that the sentencing judge at Manchester Crown Court had ever encountered.

Police saw the car driving dangerously through South Manchester but an officer decided it was not safe to go beyond 80mph after giving chase.

By the time the vehicle had crossed a junction it was going at such speed that the camber of the road acted as a ramp.

The car took off, flew through the air, and hurtled over to where it landed on the other side of the road.

Saqib lost control, and skidded sideways for 100 metres, crashing into a sign and two parked cars, causing his friends’ horrific injuries.

It has been reported that at the hospital he claimed to be a passenger, telling nurses he saw the speedometer reach 110mph,

Three of his passengers - Hamza Iqbal, 24, Mohammad Hamza Gujjar, 21, and Munib Karim, 20 - were all fatal victims of the resulting smash . A fourth - Suhaib Aziz, 19 – ‘miraculously’ survived the collision - albeit with serious injurious.

Mr Karim, whose sister's wedding had taken place only hours earlier, died in hospital the following day.

Judge David Stockdale QC said Saqib's ‘truly appalling driving’ had been motivated by a ‘selfish wish for self-preservation’ and desire to impress his older friends.

At an earlier hearing, Saqib, who had not been at the wedding, pleaded guilty to three charges of causing death by dangerous driving and one charge of causing serious injury by dangerous driving.

In opening the case, prosecutor Gavin Howie said the white Audi was witnessed by a police patrol car driving ‘out of control’ - describing the car as ‘fishtailing’ as it travelled in the opposite direction to the officer.

When the officer activated his sirens the Audi sped up to speeds of around 70mph along the 30 and 40mph road before disappearing from sight.

Mr Howie told the court: “The truth is he never really got close to it.”

Two men were pronounced dead at the scene - one having been thrown from the window.

High speed travel

IMPRESSIVE: A look into the future at what Leeds Station may look like once the HS2 project is implemented

Station passenger flows set to rival Heathrow Airport

Ambitious plans for the redevelopment of Leeds Station, into an integrated high-speed transport hub for the city, have been released this week.

The much anticipated report by the chair of HS2-Ltd, Sir David Higgins, has revealed his recommended option for how to remodel the station to accommodate future high-speed rail, whilst boosting through-rail services in a single integrated hub.

His recommendation to government would see the station redeveloped as a ‘Yorkshire Hub’ utilising a ‘T-shape’ design.

This would see the existing east-west rail lines being combined with connecting new north-south lines to accommodate HS2, operating as a single station serving connecting cities and towns across the Leeds City Region and beyond.

This recommendation replaces the original proposal of a new station for HS2 at New Lane, and follows detailed discussions as to the ideal solution for Leeds Station to meet current and future needs.

Sir David further explained: “Leeds Station is already the busiest station in the north of England, and also a major transport hub for the city, Yorkshire and the wider north of England as a whole.

“Given the physical constraints of the existing station, and the rising level of demand for services, coming up with a solution that meets all those needs has not been easy, but, thanks to the efforts of the council, the Leeds City Region and the Chamber of Commerce, as well as HS2 and Network Rail experts, we have reached a consensus.”

Over 27 million people pass through Leeds Station every year with this figure projected to rise by as much as 114 per cent by 2045.

Sir David’s recommendation for the station redevelopment has been welcomed by civic and business leaders in Leeds and across the Yorkshire region.

Councillor Judith Blake, Leader of Leeds City Council said: “Leeds City Council and partners have worked together to push for a solution for Leeds Station that meets the city and region’s aspirations, creating the connectivity the region clearly needs; and I am delighted that we have such a strong proposal in place now.

“This major project will not only transform the station into a landmark gateway to welcome visitors and business travellers in the city and region, but will be transformative in terms of new jobs, skills, regeneration, and business opportunities.

“Redeveloping the station in Leeds alone will create 10,000 new jobs and we are determined that people in the city benefit from these opportunities.”