A BMW driver accused of racing an Audi TT before an 89mph crash that killed a mother and her daughter has denied causing death by dangerous driving.
Justyna Hulboj, 27, and her four-year-old daughter Lena Czepczor were struck and killed by the Audi as they walked on the pavement of Scott Hall Road in Leeds, West Yorkshire, on January 16, 2023. Jasskamal Riyat, 37, who was driving a BMW M135i, denies he was racing the Audi involved in the fatal collision.
The Audi was traveling at nearly 90mph on a 40mph road shortly before it lost control and hit Hulboj and Czepczor. The driver of the Audi, Hardeep Bhachu, has admitted two counts of causing death by dangerous driving and is awaiting sentencing. Riyat faces the same charges.
Prosecutor Carmel Pearson told the jury that Riyat, despite not crashing his own vehicle, bears responsibility for the deaths. "Just because he [Riyat] did not crash, this does not mean he escapes responsibility for these deaths," Pearson stated. "He was also driving dangerously on that road. It's the prosecution's case that they both drove dangerously at speeds that outstripped other road users, weaving in and out of traffic close to each other and other cars."
Pearson added that neither driver showed regard for other road users, particularly pedestrians, and that they were engaged in a race. "This was not just an unspeakable tragedy, but an entirely foreseeable event," she told the jury.
Footage presented to the court showed Riyat and Bhachu communicating through their car windows at traffic lights, appearing to discuss the performance of their vehicles. Riyat could be heard laughing as the Audi accelerated away, saying, "He is gone."
The prosecution claims the two cars began racing from Potternewton Lane roundabout, heading towards Leeds city center. Justyna Hulboj and Lena Czepczor were walking near a Land Rover and Jaguar dealership at approximately 8:30 a.m. when the white Audi TT lost control after hitting a kerb, mounting the pavement, and striking them.
Riyat reportedly continued driving and filmed the crashed Audi as he passed the scene, subsequently going to work. Both Riyat and Bhachu were charged in May 2023.
Bhachu, from Adel, pleaded guilty and requested to be taken into custody to accept responsibility and begin his sentence. Riyat, from Moortown, continues to maintain his innocence, asserting he was not driving dangerously.
The trial is ongoing and is expected to conclude by the end of the week.