Salesman who killed much-loved Bradford City fan, 60, in head-on crash after overtaking dangerously on Yorkshire road is jailed

Bradford Crown Court heard how Leeds man Daniel Midgley, 26, had ignored a series of warning signs and markings on Hebden Bridge Road near Pecket Well before crashing his overtaking Toyota Auris into a Nissan Qashqai being driven by blameless 60-year-old dad-of-two Parvin Vekaria, from the Shipley area.

Bradford City fan Mr Vekaria, who was described by his family as “a larger than life” character, suffered serious injuries in the collision in April 2022 and he died in hospital from complications 11 days later.

Midgley, of Balmoral Chase, Hunslet, had been overtaking other drivers that afternoon and even when another motorist gave him room to pull back into the carriageway he lingered in the opposing lane in the lead-up to the collision near sharp bend.

One motorist estimated that Midgley was driving at about 45mph on the 30mph stretch of road and he was treating the road like a dual carriageway.

Prosecutor Andrew Stranex said on the approach to the collision site there were arrows warning drivers to return to the left lane, solid white lines and a warning of a sharp turn.

The warning “slow” was also painted on the carriageway.

“Witnesses thought a collision would be inevitable if a car was coming in the opposite direction which tragically there was,” said Mr Stranex.

Mr Vekaria’s wife Janet and daughter Roshni read out moving victim impact statements about the “devastating” effect of his death and the massive hole that had been left.

“He was part of my life for a long time and no one will ever replace him,” said Janet.

In his son Nikhil’s statement he described how they had been going to football matches together since he was five and he now found it hard to go to games without his dad.

Although Midgley had no previous convictions the court heard that two months before the fatal collision he had six points out on his driving licence for an offence of driving without insurance committed in August 2021.

Barrister Mike Walsh, for Midgley, said he couldn’t remember his thought process at the time of the collision, but Judge Jonathan Rose referred to the fact that the defendant had been on his way to visit a customer that afternoon.

Judge Rose said no sentence could be the measure of Mr Vekaria’s life nor be any comfort for those whose lives had been irreversibly damaged by his loss.

He said Mr Vekaria had been eloquently described as “a collector of friends” and a larger than life character loved by many.

“He was the heart and soul of the family and supportive of those he loved,” said Judge Rose.

The judge said his death was wholly unnecessary and Midgley had simply been on his way to visit a potential customer to sell windows for his work.

He said the danger was caused by Midgley’s “impatience as a driver” and Mr Vekaria was entirely blameless.

“The danger to any reasonable road user was obvious,” he told Midgley.

Judge Rose said there was no evidence that Midgley had been using his mobile phone or was affected by alcohol or drugs.

Midgley pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving when he first appeared before Bradford Crown Court last month and Judge Rose accepted that he had expressed genuine remorse and regret.

Two months after the fatal crash the maximum sentence for causing death by dangerous driving was increased to life imprisonment, but Midgley was sentenced under the old maximum of 14 years in jail.

Judge Rose decided that the starting point for sentence was seven years, but the guilty plea meant he was obliged by law to reduce the term by one third.

Midgley was banned from driving for a total of six years and four months and he must take an extended re-test at the end of the disqualification period before he can lawfully drive again.