Woman denies causing man's death in supercar crash

A woman has denied causing the death of her friend when the luxury supercar they were in was involved in a fatal high-speed crash on the M62 in West Yorkshire.

Humaira Batool, from Bradford, who was 22 at the time of the crash, is on trial at Leeds Crown Court accused of causing the death by dangerous driving of 20-year-old Mohammed Shaan Hussain.

The pair were travelling in a hired Lamborghini Urus when it crashed near Ripponden, between junctions 22 and 23, in the early hours of 21 December 2022.

Prosecutor Christopher Dunn told jurors the Lamborghini was driven by the defendant "at grossly excessive speeds of up to 143mph [230 km/h], in wet conditions on the M62 motorway."

Jurors heard Hussain, also from Bradford, had rented the vehicle and planned to use it to collect a friend from HMP Leeds, commonly known as Armley Prison.

Leeds Crown Court was told he collected his friend Batool from her home at about 04:00 BST.

The prosecution alleged CCTV footage showed Batool initially travelling in the passenger seat, before getting out at traffic lights, running around the vehicle and taking the driver's seat, with Hussain moving across into the passenger seat.

It was earlier reported that the accused had denied being the driver of the vehicle. However, this was not the case and it was later clarified that Batool did not deny she was driving.

The court heard the car was travelling at about 120mph (193km/h) as it passed the "house in the middle of the motorway" landmark on the M62.

Eight seconds later it had come to a standstill after leaving the carriageway, striking a barrier and overturning, jurors were told.

Witnesses who had been overtaken by the Lamborghini stopped to help and heard a woman shouting for assistance, the prosecution said.

Dunn said attempts to reach the occupants were thwarted by flames before a "very significant explosion".

Dunn told the court Batool was later found by a second group of witnesses on a grass verge near the motorway, while Hussain was trapped in the wreckage.

Dunn said Batool told witnesses the flames had melted the seatbelt, enabling her to escape the vehicle.

He said the case against her was that she had "deliberately and willingly driven a very high-powered vehicle at excessive speed at night in the rain".

The trial continues.

Clarification 2 September: This story has been clarified to reflect that the accused did not deny she was driving the car at the time of the incident.

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