A 21-year-old driver, Daniel Mohammed, has been sentenced to 26 months in prison after crashing his car into a takeaway shop, causing the front of the building to collapse. The incident occurred around 6 a.m. on July 20 of the previous year in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent.
Footage from the scene showed the moment the front of the Rose Fast takeaway crumbled after Mohammed lost control of his Ford Focus and drove into it. The impact destroyed the front of the car and left the building's facade open.
At Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court, it was heard that a female passenger, known to Mohammed through mutual friends, had asked him to slow down as he was driving with his phone in his hand. Mohammed disregarded the warning, resulting in the crash.
The passenger sustained a fractured left collarbone and fractures to two bones in her forearm. Both she and Mohammed were taken to Royal Stoke University Hospital. The passenger also reported tingling and reduced sensation in her fingers following the collision.
Mohammed pleaded guilty to causing serious injury by dangerous driving, using a vehicle without third-party insurance, and using a handheld mobile phone while driving. The court was also informed of a previous conviction for drug-driving.
Judge Graeme Smith, in sentencing Mohammed, stated, "There was a deliberate decision to ignore the rules of the road." The judge noted that Mohammed drove in excess of the speed limit, overtook a vehicle near a zebra crossing against zigzag line markings, and performed this maneuver on a bend where visibility was obstructed. "You were using a mobile phone at the time. You had been warned by your passenger to slow down but disregarded that warning," the judge added. The judge commented on the severity of the injuries, remarking, "Having watched the video, it is astonishing that both of you were not more seriously injured. She was the more seriously injured."
In addition to the 26-month prison sentence, Mohammed has been banned from driving for three years and 10 months and must pass an extended driving test. The judge noted Mohammed's acceptance of responsibility and stated that the incident appeared out of character, but acknowledged the previous driving-related offense from earlier in the year, which prevented the sentence from being suspended.