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Mum releases footage of horror crash that killed her son as police launch seat belt campaign

Amar Atwal, right, with his brother Arjun Atwal (SWNS)
Amar Atwal, right, with his brother Arjun Atwal (SWNS)

A brave mum has released harrowing footage of the crash that killed her 12-year-old son in a bid to raise awareness about the importance of seat belts.

Tragic Amar Atwal was travelling as a back seat passenger in a Mitsubishi Outlander when it was hit by a speeding taxi in May 2015.

The schoolboy, who wasn’t wearing the safety device, was thrown from the vehicle and died two days after the collision on Hollyhedge Road in West Bromwich, West Midlands.

Speeding taxi driver Nadeem Hussain, 35, had ignored give way instructions when he drove across the junction into the car without stopping or braking.

The crash that killed Amar (SWNS)
The crash that killed Amar (SWNS)

He was jailed for six years in December after a jury found him guilty of causing death by dangerous driving and two counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving.

Yesterday, Amar’s mum Sukhi Atwal released CCTV footage of the horror smash as she joined police to start a week-long seat belt awareness campaign.

The shocking two-second clip shows the Vauxhall Astra taxi speeding across a cross-roads junction straight into the right-hand side of the Mitsubishi.

Amar Atwal. 12, Harbhajan Atwal, 58, Sukhi Atwal, 48, and Arjun Atwal, 11 (SWNS)
Amar Atwal. 12, Harbhajan Atwal, 58, Sukhi Atwal, 48, and Arjun Atwal, 11 (SWNS)

Mum Sukhi, who lives in Great Barr, Birmingham, said her son could have been saved if he was wearing a seat belt.

She added: “We will never get over the loss of Amar. He was such a bright, intelligent, fun-loving boy.

“He was an innocent victim of the crash and there is now a huge hole, which can never be filled in our lives.

“Wearing a seatbelt could have saved his life, at the very least it would have given him a better chance of survival.

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“We can never get Amar back, but I just hope by encouraging both young and old to try and be as safe as possible, they won’t have to go through the heartbreak we have.”

Police check motorists are wearing seat belts (SWNS)
Police check motorists are wearing seat belts (SWNS)

Sukhi joined officers from West Midlands Police at roadside checkpoints to make sure they were wearing seat belts.

West Midlands Police Special Constable Clive Broadhurst has also produced a heartfelt video featuring images of Amar and Sukhi that will be used during school talks.

He said: “It is very brave of Sukhi to share her experience and hopefully it will hit home how wearing a seatbelt can make a difference.

“She doesn’t want any other family to suffer the heartbreak she has had to endure.”

Hussain smashed into the side of the 4×4, which was carrying Amar and his relatives, causing it to flip onto its roof and smash into a tree.

The speeding taxi driver was jailed for six years (SWNS)
The speeding taxi driver was jailed for six years (SWNS)

The court heard that Amar’s 12-year-old cousin suffered multiple leg fractures in the crash and may now be left with one leg shorter than the other.

The Mitsubishi driver also suffered a brain injury, which has left her with significant restricted eye movement and profound psychological impairment.

Dad-of-four Hussain, from Dudley, West Midlands, told the court he was “truly sorry” for his actions, but Judge Francis Laird QC said he had shown no “true remorse”.

Officers from Central Motorway Police Group (CMPG) will also be monitoring motorways and other routes across the Midlands as part of the week-long campaign.

Drivers who are pulled over for not wearing a seatbelt face a £100 fine.

Inspector Sion Hathaway, from CMPG, said: “We really can’t stress enough the importance of wearing a seatbelt.

“Not only do you risk a fine if caught not using one but they can prove a life-saver.”