A driver who seriously injured three friends in a horror crash after he got ‘distracted’ avoided jail today, January 15.
Ramneek Sandhu, 23, hit a bus which was stopped in Glasgow’s Cowcaddens on June 30 2022.
Sandhu was behind the wheel of a BMW 116 when he collected four of his friends – initially to go for dinner. However, it was later decided that new driver Sandhu would go for a drive during the course of the night.
His lawyer Bethan Jones said: “As he approached Cowcaddens Road, there was noise coming from the passengers in the car.
“He asked them to keep the noise down as he felt distracted but the noise continued.
“In the moments leading up to the crash, he turned around and was not watching the road and where he was – asking them to keep the noise down.”
The fireball crash left three men seriously injured.
(Image: Daily Record)
The charge says Sandhu, of Bearsden, East Dunbartonshire, drove at excessive speed and failed to maintain proper road observations.
Sandhu caused his vehicle to drift onto the adjacent carriageway around 6am. He did not see the bus which was stopped at a red light.
Sandhu failed to stop his car and caused it to collide with the bus which had passengers inside who were fortunately unhurt.
Both vehicles were damaged and the crash caused Sandhu’s vehicle to ignite.
Three of Sandhu’s four passengers Mohammed Sharif, Adeel Ahmed and Subhan Waris were all seriously injured as a result. Mr Sharif suffered a fractured pelvis, while Mr Ahmed had a fractured right arm.
Mr Waris sustained an 18 centimetre wound across his forehead, a fractured rib and broken vertabrae. He has been left scarred as a result of the surgery to his forehead.
The hearing was told that Sandhu was also injured.
Sandhu pled guilty at Glasgow Sheriff Court to the single charge of causing serious injury to the trio by careless driving.
It was revealed at today’s sentencing that Sandhu picked up points for speeding shortly after the incident.
Miss Jones stated that Sandhu’s relationship with his friends is now over and he is currently an engineering apprentice.
Sheriff Tom Hughes put Sandhu on a structured deferred sentence to see if “steps will be taken to turn his life around”.
The matter will recall again in April for a progress report.
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