Taiyeeb Shah was so angry he out his foot down and tried to overtake another driver in a quiet residential street, but ended up smashing into an oncoming vehicle. A judge at Preston Crown Court heard the 29-year-old “saw red” and was on the wrong side of the road as he ploughed into a car carrying a man and his daughter. Advertisement Advertisement Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Lancashire Evening Post, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more.
He then drove off, leaving the occupants of the wrecked vehicle trapped inside. They had to be cut out by firefighters. Judge Ian Unsworth KC told him: “You were fortunate – you could have killed them.
” And he added: “You even put your wife and daughter at risk with your dangerous driving.” He was jailed for 14 months and banned from driving for more than three-and-a-half years after his own barrister described his driving that day as “appalling.” Shah, of Tenby Close, Blackburn, who was said in court to be suffering from post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after being the victim of a stabbing in Chorley, admitted a charge of dangerous driving.
Advertisement Advertisement Join our new WhatsApp Community to get the latest news and top stories from across Lancashire directly to your phone. The court was told he had moved away from Chorley to live with relatives in Blackburn following the violent incident which had left him on medication. Prosecuting barrister Tara Riley said the car smash happened at around 9:30pm on June 24 last year when Shah’s Audi was seen travelling at high speed on Earl Street, Blackburn apparently racing another vehicle.
CCTV played in court showed he was on the wrong side of the road as he passed a school in an area where the speed limit is 20 mph. Advertisement Advertisement Despite there being speed bumps in the road Shah tried to get past the other vehicle, which was also travelling at high speed, but a Toyota Yaris being driven by a Mr Master was seen approaching in the opposite direction. Mr Master tried to take evasive action by swerving up onto the pavement, but his car was hit on the driver’s side.
Mr Master and his daughter, who had been in the passenger seat, tried to get out of the wreckage but were trapped inside. Miss Riley said Shah then drove off. The court was told Shah had two previous driving offences on his record, one of failing to provide a specimen in September 2021 for which he had been banned from driving.
The suspension had only ended around four months before the Blackburn crash. Miss Riley added: “Mr Shah ignored the rules of the road, was driving on the opposite side of the carriageway and was a danger to others.” She said his overtaking manoeuvre had been highly dangerous.
“He appeared to be racing with another vehicle.” Advertisement Advertisement Mr Master and his daughter had to cut out of the wreckage of their car. He suffered severe whiplash injuries, cuts and bruises and had to be removed using a spinal board.
“There is no direct evidence of the speeds they were travelling,” said Miss Riley. “But officers watching (the CCTV) said they would have been travelling in excess of the speed limit.” She added the crash happened outside the gates of the school and where there were speed bumps in the road.
When arrested Shah told police it was Mr Master who caused the crash by reversing out onto the road. But the CCTV proved the story was made up. James Heyworth, representing Shah, said his client had been “the victim of violence” when living in Chorley and had moved back to Blackburn to be with his wider family.
Advertisement Advertisement “There is no justification (for the crash), there can’t be. It was an appalling piece of driving. It was pure luck that no-one was badly injured or killed and that is something which is not lost on Mr Shah.
“He saw red, decided to chase this other car, he was clearly on the wrong side of the road. Mr Master tried to take what action he could to get out of the way. “He accepts he has a poor relationship with driving and he is somewhat relieved he has lost his ability to drive for a considerable time.
He has enough insight to realise it was totally unacceptable.” For the latest Preston & Lancashire headlines in your inbox, sign up for the LEP newsletter . Advertisement Advertisement Although Shah’s actions crossed the custody threshold, Mr Heyworth urged the judge to suspend any jail sentence because he had suffered “traumas that have impacted on his mental health.
” Judge Unsworth said he had considered carefully whether he could suspend the sentence, or adjourn the case while a psychiatric report could be produced, but concluded he couldn’t. He told him: “You saw fit to chase another high speed vehicle, on the wrong side of the road. Mr Master had his daughter by his side and was forced to drive onto the curb to try and avoid you.
You took no action to avoid a collision.” He said a number of members of the public had tried to help Mr Master and his daughter. “They were injured and couldn’t get out of the car.
But you made off. Advertisement Advertisement “Mr Master had severe whiplash injuries, cuts and was thought at that stage to have potential spinal injuries. “When asked by the police you blamed Mr Master saying he had backed out.
You also said you were verbally abused by the occupants of the car. “Nothing could be further from the truth. It was you who made off.
They were trapped in their vehicle (but) you didn’t lift a finger to help them. “I have no doubt that the custody threshold has been passed in this case. You deliberately decided to ignore the rules of the road and disregarded the safety of others.
Advertisement Advertisement “Your speed was significantly in excess of the speed limit. You had passengers in your own car including your very young child. You appear not to recognise how serious this is.
“You know full well the enormity of that you did. That’s why you made off. You sought to blame your victims.
You recently claimed your victims got out of their car and abused you. “That is a work of fantasy and a plain untruth.”.
