A driver who was ‘showing off’ killed a beautician when he lost control of his Range Rover whilst travelling at 110 mph has been jailed for just over seven years.
33 year-old Yagmur Ozden died of her injuries after she and 24 year-old Rida Kazem were both thrown from the vehicle as it ploughed through a Tesla dealership before finally stopping on a railway track.
26 year-old Zamarod Arif was the only one wearing a seatbelt and was left with serious injuries including a broken arm and leg.
Kazem, whose left leg was amputated below the knee following the crash, had been driving the two women home from a night out last August.
Kazem’s black £180,000 Range Rover Sport SVR could be seen hitting a top speed of 110mph in a 40mph zone before he lost control.
Judge Martin Edmunds KC jailed Kazem, from Greenford, west London, for a total of seven-and-a-half years after he previously pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving and causing serious injury by dangerous driving.
He will serve at least two-thirds of the sentence and was also banned from driving for more than 12 years.
“The speed and violence of this unfolding crash is simply horrific, and the Range Rover was reduced to a mangled heap of metal,” the judge said.
“I have no doubt you were showing off to your passengers – both showing off your powerful car but also what you thought of as your superior driving skills.
“What is all too clear is your skills were all too inadequate.”
The crash left 13 year-old Melek Ozden without a mother and Kazem was apparently remorseless as he smiled to the public gallery after he was sentenced and left without using the crutches he arrived on.
The incident has triggered a debate online about whether any road-going vehicle should be allowed to travel at 110mph+. There are undoubtedly arguments for both sides but let us know where you stand on the subject in the comments below.