Driver who almost killed passenger when speeding car hit wall and erupted into ball of flames jailed for more than two years

A driver who almost killed his passenger when his speeding car hit a wall and erupted into a ball of flames has been jailed for more than two years.

Tabish Khan, 23, was racing at high speed with three other vehicles around Bradford, West Yorks, when he lost control of his powerful Audi RS3, which he’d taken out for a test drive.

Footage played in court shows Khan pulling off the “suicidal manoeuvre” as he drives on the wrong side of the road and fails to round a corner, before the car explodes.

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Prosecutor Richard Walters said the incident took place on February 21 last year when the roads were wet and particularly poor for driving.

The speeding car hit a wall and burst into flamesThe speeding car hit a wall and burst into flames
The speeding car hit a wall and burst into flames

A policeman who was parked up nearby with a speed camera device estimated that the cars were travelling at over 100mph as they approached him.

And as the officer set off in his pursuit vehicle, he saw “a flash of fire” from the vicinity of a nearby Skoda garage and realised that the Audi had crashed.

Mr Walters said the officer came across a scene of “carnage” with the Audi’s engine ripped out of the vehicle and burning on the road six feet away.

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Khan and his friend, Mohammed Shah, were both unconscious in the written-off Audi and the officer used a fire extinguisher to put out the burning engine.

Tabish Khan, 23, has been jailed for 27 monthsTabish Khan, 23, has been jailed for 27 months
Tabish Khan, 23, has been jailed for 27 months
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Mr Walters said two Golf vehicles initially stopped at the scene to watch, but they then drove off.

Both men were treated in hospital for multiple injuries with Mr Shah suffering fractures to his face, pelvis, legs and hip.

Khan, of Moorlands Avenue, Bradford, broke his ankle, shoulder and ribs and also suffered a punctured lung.

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In his police interview, he accepted that the crash could have been fatal, and said he had nightmares about it.

The court heard that at the time of the crash, Khan was waiting to be dealt with by the courts for an offence of drug driving in February this year.

Defence barrister Shufqat Khan said his client had made a horrific mistake that night and now faced going into custody for the first time.

He said Khan had been in tears when he saw the footage of his driving and he was remorseful for what he had done.

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Mr Khan added that the defendant’s ongoing difficulties with mobility and lifting heavy items would be a constant reminder of his offending.

Judge Burn told Khan that he and his passenger were "both very lucky to have survived this crash.”

He said the latest incident of driving while disqualified showed that Khan had not completely learned his lesson as a result of almost killing himself and his friend.

He added: “In any event using the public roads in the centre of Bradford as a race track is far too serious for this court to deal with it in any other way than an immediate custodial sentence.

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“It puts so many people at risk of death or serious injury. Not just the people like you but others going about their ordinary business.”

He said the Audi had been far too fast for Khan to competently control and the overtaking at high speed had been “an almost suicidal manoeuvre”.

Khan pleaded guilty to causing serious injury to Mr Shah by dangerous driving and he was jailed for 27 months.

He was also banned from driving for just over three years and ordered to take an extended re-test.