Drink-driver high on nitrous oxide caused fatal crash, court told

A SPEEDING driver “very likely both drunk and high on nitrous oxide,’ caused a catastrophic crash on the Aston Expressway which killed a young man, a court heard.

- CARL JACKSON Court Reporter

Saqlane Zafar was in a rented Audi SQ7 and doing more than 80mph ona closed lane of the A38(M) when he crashed into the back of Ryan Sand-hu’s Ford Fiesta shortly after midnight on June 2 last year.

The 21-year-old victim, who was on his way home, suffered a fatal head injury and died at the scene.

Zafar and his unidentified passenger were unhurt despite not wearing seatbelts.

A jury was told that after the collision they fled and then dumped nitrous oxide canisters over the side of the road.

It is then alleged that Muhammad Hamza picked them up in a Nissan Qashqai and drove them from the scene, leading police on a high-speed chase before crashing himself in Small Heath.

Jurors were told that Zafar, 28, of Woodlands Road, Saltley, had pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving.

But Hamza, 25, of Grantham Road, Sparkbrook is on trial at Birmingham Crown Court having denied assisting an offender and dangerous driving.

Daniel Oscroft, prosecuting, told the court that at 12.10am on June 2 last year Mr Sandhu was in queueing traffic on the A38(M) due to roadworks, having been out in Birmingham that night.

He said: “Saqlane Zafar was also on the A38(M) ina rented Audi SQ7.

“The prosecution will say that Zafar was very likely both drunk and high on nitrous oxide.

“He didn’t have a seatbelt on. He was driving in excess of 80mph along the same stretch of road.