Drivers racing before mum and child killed - trial

Witnesses have described seeing two drivers racing and weaving their cars in and out of traffic at high speeds moments before a crash which killed a mother and daughter.

Justyna Hulboj, 27, and four-year-old Lena Czepczor were fatally struck by an Audi TT on the pavement on Scott Hall Road in Leeds while walking to nursery on 16 January 2023.

Jasskamal Riyat, 37, who was driving a BMW 1 Series closely behind the Audi, is on trial at Leeds Crown Court charged with causing their deaths by dangerous driving.

Witness Uel Knight told the court on Tuesday: "Both cars went past me at about 50 to 70 miles per hour [80km/h to 113km/h]. Obviously they were racing."

Hardeep Bachu, who was driving the Audi, has already pleaded guilty to the same offences and will be sentenced after Riyat's trial.

On Monday, prosecutor Carmel Pearson said the men, who were not known to each other, had been racing on the road, which has a 40mph (64km/h) speed limit.

The court heard that Riyat, of Buck Stone Avenue in Leeds, had initially been driving behind Bachu, but moved into the inside lane to pull up alongside him at a set of traffic lights.

Riyat was "right behind" Bachu when he was measured travelling at 89mph (143km/h), 197ft (60m) away from where the collision took place, Pearson said.

Knight, who was walking alongside Scott Hall Road at the time of the crash, told the court he had heard "the growl of cars stopped at a pedestrian crossing revving their engines".

"They sounded like high performance cars. Then they went past me at about 50 to 70 miles per hour - both cars," he said.

"Obviously they were racing. I felt the breeze as they passed me."

Meanwhile, Ravinder Sagu, another witness, said she had been driving on Scott Hall Road on her way to work when she saw two cars being driven "significantly faster than my vehicle".

Sagu said she was driving at about 38mph (61km/h) when she saw "a white Audi overtake my vehicle and undertake vehicles ahead of me at speed".

"Shortly afterwards, I noticed a grey BMW that also overtook me on the right hand side and was overtaking and undertaking the vehicles ahead.

"It looked as if it was close in connection with the other vehicle. They were racing.

"I lost sight of both vehicles because they sped off ahead."

Sagu added: "I caught up with the grey BMW and saw that the white Audi had actually crashed.

"I realised there had been an accident and the Audi had completely spun around.

"I was unaware at that time that there were any victims until I watched the news later that night."

The trial continues.

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