Driver who killed passenger after crashing into tractor in West Yorkshire is jailed for more than 11 years

Rizwan Attaullah also crashed into a wall in the horrific collision near Wakefield on an evening in September 2018.

The 30-year-old was driving a Volkswagen Golf when it struck another Golf parked on the roadside on Batley Road, with the force of the collision forcing the car onto the other side of the road as the tractor was coming the other way.

Ali Ahmed, 21, who was in the passenger's seat at the time, was killed instantly by the smash while Attaullah escaped with a serious head injury and numerous fractures.

The court heard how neither men were wearing seat belts at the time of the collision on September 9, while convicted drug dealer Attaullah's first reaction was to search the footwell and dashboard in attempts to hide the heroin he had been dealing that evening.

Witnesses described how Attaullah had been seen driving at speed and through a red light shortly before the crash.

Following a sentencing hearing for Attaullah, it was heard how, tragically, Mr Ahmed's father passed away after his son's death meaning he did not get to see justice for his child.

Attaullah, of Asquith Fields, Batley, was jailed for 11 years and six months at the court yesterday (Tuesday) after he admitted causing death by dangerous driving, drug dealing and grievous bodily harm.

Speaking after sentencing, Sergeant Paul Lightowler, of West Yorkshire Police's Major Collision Enquiry Team, said: “We hope the sentence Attaullah has received today will be of some comfort to the family of Mr Ahmed, who lost his life as a result of the defendant’s reckless actions that day.

“Their grief has since been compounded due to the tragic loss of Mr Ahmed’s father, who passed away between the collision and sentencing, meaning he was unable to see the justice handed out to the man responsible for the death of his youngest son.

“We also hope it will deter other motorists from taking risks on the road and make them think about the possible consequences of what can happen when a vehicle is used dangerously.”

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