Driver jailed for 10 years over fatal Lamborghini crash on M62

Humaira Batool has been jailed for 10 years after being found guilty of causing the death of her friend Mohammed Shaan Hussain in a high-speed crash on the M62 in West Yorkshire.

Hussain, 20, died in December 2022 when a rented Lamborghini Urus left the motorway near Ripponden, overturned and caught fire. Batool, 26, from Bradford, had been driving at speeds of up to 140mph (230km/h) in wet conditions, jurors heard during her trial.

Sentencing at Leeds Crown Court, Judge Ray Singh said the crash followed Batool’s decision to drive at extreme speed on a damp motorway in darkness. The judge said the jury had rejected claims of mechanical failure, aquaplaning and Batool’s suggestion that Hussain had interfered with the car’s controls. He said the sole cause was the manner of her driving.

The court heard Hussain had rented the car and was taking Batool with him to HMP Leeds to collect a friend. They switched places on the journey, and the car crashed within eight seconds of Batool taking the wheel.

Batool had been due to be sentenced on Monday but did not attend. Her barrister said she had gone to A&E because of an endometriosis flare-up. The prosecutor called this “clearly a ruse”, and the judge issued a warrant for her arrest. She was subsequently sentenced to 10 years in prison, disqualified from driving for 10 years and ordered to pass an extended driving test.

In a victim statement, Hussain’s mother, Nasreen Akhtar, said he was a beloved son and cherished brother, and that every day had been a struggle since his death. His brother Mohammed Souhail Hussain said Shaan would always remain their older brother.