Driver jailed over ‘traumatic' crash that wrecked five police cars
Mazyar Azarbonyad, 20, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving following the crash, which happened just west of Newcastle in the early hours of April 9.
Sentencing him to 14 months' detention on Monday, Judge Tim Gittins said: 'It is nothing short of a miracle that no one was more seriously injured or that there were not multiple fatalities.'
One officer suffered soft tissue damage to her knee and nerve damage to her back, while another needed stitches for a cut to his forehead, police said.
Newcastle Crown Court heard that Azarbonyad, who arrived in the UK after fleeing Iran when he was 14, was driving a female passenger home in a BMW X5 when he was spotted by police driving over the speed limit and with defective rear lights.
The court heard he had bought the vehicle on finance despite only having a provisional driving licence and no insurance. He later admitted to officers he had previously paid for only three driving lessons.
After being pulled over, an officer approached his vehicle on foot – but Azarbonyad said 'nah' and made off at speed, the court heard.
Penny Hall, defending, said Azarbonyad 'panicked' after his passenger said she had drugs on her.
However, Judge Gittins said: 'Whether or not you were made aware of the small amount of cannabis in her possession, I am satisfied you made a deliberate decision to make off substantially because of your unlawful driving position.'
Azarbonyad was spotted by police again about 30 minutes later and failed to stop for a second time, nearly losing control on a bend and hitting a kerb as he accelerated onto the A1, where the judge said his speed reached a 'hair-raising level' at more than 120mph.
When police vehicles moved in to contain the BMW, Azarbonyad braked suddenly in the middle of the four-lane carriageway, going from 119 mph to 0mph in an emergency stop and causing the multiple-vehicle pile-up, the court heard.
Jolyon Perks, prosecuting, said: 'A number of these officers were trapped in vehicles. There were liquids involved, thankfully not petrol.
'A number of officers were rendered unconscious. It was clearly a very traumatic incident.'
When Azarbonyad was interviewed he described his driving as 's---', but did not accept he had braked harshly and said the police chasing him were travelling too fast, Mr Perks told the court.
Judge Gittins said the defendant, from Stanley in County Durham, would also be disqualified from driving for three years and seven months.
No separate penalty was given for two offences of failing to stop for police and charges of driving without a licence or insurance, which Azarbonyad also pleaded guilty to.
Supt Billy Mulligan, of Northumbria Police, said four of the seven officers who were injured in the crash remained off work.
He said: 'It is sheer luck that Mazyar Azarbonyad did not kill anyone that day with his reckless actions.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Yahoo
Woman, 68, dies in hospital six days after crash
A woman has died almost a week after she was critically injured in a two-vehicle crash in Airdrie. Police Scotland said a black Audi A4 and a blue BMW M2 were involved in a collision on the A89 Clark Street, near to its junction with Springwells Avenue. The incident happened at about 16.45 on 28 June. The 68-year-old, who was a passenger in the Audi, was taken to University Hospital Wishaw for treatment but died from her injuries on 4 July. The driver of the Audi, a 67-year-old man, was taken to University Hospital Monklands and was later discharged. Officers said the occupants of the BMW were assessed by paramedics at the scene. Sgt Ross Allison said: "Our thoughts are with the family of the woman who has died. "Our inquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances of this incident and I would urge anyone who witnessed what happened to contact us." He also encouraged anyone with dash cam footage that may assist the investigation to come forward.
Washington Post
18 hours ago
- Washington Post
Teenage driver owes $2.4 million in crash that killed two schoolmates
A Fairfax County jury has written a final chapter to the horrific car crash that killed two Oakton High School students as they walked away from school in June 2022, awarding $2.4 million to the parents of 15-year-old Leeyan Hanjia Yan in a civil suit. The case pinned responsibility on both the unlicensed 18-year-old driver and his father, who gave him a new BMW.
New York Post
a day ago
- New York Post
Six injured when car barrels into oncoming Belt Parkway traffic in NYC
Six people were injured – two critically – in a fiery crash in Queens when a BMW struck a highway medium and vaulted over the barrier, striking two vehicles in oncoming traffic, cops said. The 24-year-old driver of the white 2015 BMW was headed east on the Belt Parkway at Exit 17 near Cross Bay Boulevard when he lost control, hit the concrete barrier and launched over it around 6 a.m. Saturday, police said. The BMW then smacked into a 2016 Honda CRV and a red 2022 Hyundai — shearing its roof off, dramatic photos from the scene show — before catching fire, authorities said. 7 Six people were injured — two critical — in a crash on the Belt Parkway in Queens, cops said. Diego Luzuriaga/FreedomNewsTV 7 Photos show victims being rushed to a waiting ambulance after the 6 a.m. crash. Diego Luzuriaga/FreedomNewsTV The driver of the BMW and a female passenger were rushed to Brookdale Hospital in critical condition, a police spokesman said. The female's age was unknown, according to cops. A 34-year-old woman who was driving the Hyundai was also taken to the hospital in stable condition, cops said. 7 The cars in the three-vehicle collision were badly damaged. Diego Luzuriaga/FreedomNewsTV 7 The man who was driving and a female, whose age was unknown, were critically injured in the BMW, cops said. Diego Luzuriaga/FreedomNewsTV The white BMW's hood appears to have been peeled back from the impact. The car caught fire in the crash, according to the FDNY. Photos victims being rushed to an ambulance. Others were treated by emergency responders at the scene. A 21-year-old woman and two 25-year-old men in the BMW were taken to a hospital in stable condition, cops said. 7 The red Hundai was struck by the BMW, which launched over the medium, cops said. Diego Luzuriaga/FreedomNewsTV 7 Diego Luzuriaga/FreedomNewsTV It was unclear what caused the driver to lose control but speed may have been an issue, police said. 7 Diego Luzuriaga/FreedomNewsTV One photogrph shows a baby seat at the scene, but police said they had no information about minors being injured in the crash. The NYPD's Collision Investigation Squad was probing the wreck, cops said.
