Young driver who caused ‘extremely dangerous’ collision lent sports car by friend’s father

The decision to lend a 21 year old a BMW sports car that later propelled an oncoming vehicle into a lamp post has been called “foolish” by a judge.

Zeeshan Ali was given the powerful car by the father of one of his friends and was later spotted by police travelling at 60mph in a 20mph zone on June 18 last year, a court heard.

He was pursued by Thames Valley Police officers in Reading,  after he failed to stop, prosecutors said.

When Ali jumped a red light, the grey BMW M4 collided with a car driven by Steve Brown, a health and safety expert whose vehicle was propelled into a lamp post and came to rest on the central reservation, a judge was told.

Ali abandoned the vehicle, where police also found cannabis, after the crash.

Gabrielle McAvock, prosecuting, told the court the fire brigade had to cut the victim out of the wreckage of his car.

Ms McAvock described the driving as “unbelievable and extremely dangerous and it is only sheer luck that nobody was killed as a result”.

Victim missed first dance of his wedding

In a victim impact statement, Mr Brown said he had suffered multiple fractures to the right leg, fractures to two ribs, fractures to the breast bone and had to spend five weeks in hospital.

Mr Brown had to wear a cast for months and his bone had healed 10 degrees off-straight, the court heard.

Ms McAvock added: “He had [his] wedding on November 10 last year and was not able to do the first dance and a large number of arrangements were required, including special alterations being made to his wedding suit to account for the cast on his leg.

“It had a large impact on the enjoyment of his wedding and the victim had no choice but to delay going on his honeymoon with his wife.”

John Riley, defending, said that Ali, now 22, was in possession of a car far more powerful than the defendant was used to.

Judge Alan Blake commented: “And someone saw fit to give it to a 21-year-old.”

Ali admitted causing serious injury by dangerous driving and appeared at Reading Crown Court on May 24 for sentence.

He also accepted he did not have the right insurance on the day of the incident, but he has not been charged with an offence relating to that.

Judge Blake told Ali: “You were driving a heavily powered BMW M4. You drove it at excessive speed.

“You had borrowed that car from the father of a friend, foolishly willing to lend you an extremely powerful car.”

Ali was sentenced to 26 months in prison and disqualified from driving for three years and one months.