Driver found car 'in hedge on fire' after crash that left dad dead and son badly injured

A FATHER died and his nine-year-old son was seriously injured after being involved in a crash involving cars that appeared to be racing, a court has heard.

- DAVID POWELL

Another driver told the court how they found a car “in a hedge on fire” moments after he was overtaken by two vehicles that appeared to be racing before the fatal crash.

Father-of-two Rhys Jenkins, 41, of Deuddw, Powys, died and his nine-year-old son, Ioan, was seriously injured in the crash on the Belan Straight, on the A483 near Welshpool, last November 16.

Brothers Abubakr Ben Yusaf, 29, and Umar Ben Yusaf, 34, both deny causing death by dangerous driving, causing serious injury by dangerous driving and causing death while uninsured.

On the second day of the trial, Mold Crown Court heard from several witnesses who said the pair seemed to be racing their cars.

One witness, Tyler Lewis, who was driving his VW Polo towards Welshpool at about 6pm on the night of the crash said a red or orange car overtook him, then a blue car overtook him “on a series of bends”.

Mr Lewis told the prosecutor, John Philpotts, it had not been safe for the blue car to overtake him because “we could not see what was coming”.

He came upon the accident soon afterwards involving a silver car.

He said: “As I was coming past a farm, it looked like the car was in a hedge on fire.”

Mr Tyler said it was a silver car - not the BMW or the blue car in the hedge. He said a BMW was parked up the road and appeared to be “very damaged”.

He told the prosecutor he stopped and got out and saw a tall man with a “big black beard” at the scene.