Men detained over 'racing' car crash in Bolton

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-24705645

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Two men have been detained for dangerous driving after they crashed while "racing" through the streets of Bolton on the wrong side of the road.

Furqaan Mohmed and Mohammed Patel hit another car and struck pedestrians on St Helens Road, Daubhill, on 21 July. A 12-year-old boy and a man were injured.

Mohmed, 21, was jailed for two years and eight months at Bolton Crown Court.

Patel, 20, was sent to a young offenders' institution for three years and 10 months. Both pleaded guilty.

Police said the pair were both driving Vauxhall Astras and were racing each other at more than 60mph on the wrong side of the road when Patel ploughed into a BMW 320 which had turned on to the street.

Cover-up

Patel's car spun out of control and collided with a parked car before mounting the kerb. It then hit the 12-year-old boy before crashing into a bus shelter and injuring a 51-year-old man.

Patel, of Leech Street, admitted two counts of causing serious injuries by dangerous driving, driving while disqualified and without insurance and perverting the course of justice.

Mohmed, of Gibbon Street, pleaded guilty to two counts of causing serious injuries by dangerous driving.

He was working as a support officer for Greater Manchester Police at the time of his arrest. He has since been dismissed.

Both Patel and Mohmed have been disqualified from driving for four years.

A third man, Mohammed Vohra, 20, of Mancroft Avenue, Bolton, was also sentenced to six months, suspended for 18 months, for pretending to police to be one of the drivers in order to cover for Patel, who was driving while banned.

Vohra admitted perverting the course of justice. He was also ordered to do 100 hours of unpaid work.

'Tragedy waiting to happen'

Police said it was not until the following day that he admitted he had lied about being the driver in an attempt to cover for Patel.

The 12-year-old victim suffered bleeding and swelling to his brain and multiple breaks to his leg. The 51-year-old man suffered a fractured arm, broken ribs and a punctured lung.

Both are making good recoveries, police said.

Sgt Danny Byrne said it was lucky nobody was killed as a result of the collision.

"The manner of their reprehensible driving was a tragedy waiting to happen: they were using the roads of Bolton as a racing track, showing nothing but contempt for other road users and members of the public.

"You quite simply cannot drive in this manner without there being serious ramifications.

"What makes this matter worse is that Vohra and Patel conspired to lie about who had been driving and as a result we were not able to screen test Patel, meaning we will never know - and had no way of finding out - whether he had been drinking or taking drugs."