Before his high-speed crash that killed a cherished grandmother, an Amazon employee had been consuming “strong lager” and was listening to music on his phone.
Abobakr Mohammed, 25, a worker at an Amazon distribution centre, reached speeds of up to 77 mph while travelling in a 30 mph zone before striking Marion Whittaker, 55, in Gateshead in November of last year. Mohammed decided to travel into Newcastle with a coworker to purchase food after consuming lager and testing positive for weed.
Mohammed’s Toyota overturned after the tragic collision on Old Durham Road, the Newcastle Crown Court heard on Tuesday, and landed back on its wheels as witnesses gathered nearby. Around 10 o’clock in the evening, Mrs. Whittaker, who was returning from watching her grandkids, was tragically killed after suffering “catastrophic injuries.”
Mohammed, of Mardale Gardens, Gateshead, appeared in court to receive his punishment for killing the woman by driving recklessly. Throughout the proceedings, he needed an Arabic interpreter’s assistance.
Mohammed made the decision to take them into Newcastle for dinner on November 25, 2017, after drinking “especially heavy lager” at the home of a business colleague in Gateshead, according to Tom Mitchell, the prosecutor. They went out despite Mohammed’s acquaintance’s advice to stay indoors after he “reassured him” that everything would be okay. According to Mr. Mitchell, a passenger told Mohammed to “slow down” because he was driving “too swiftly” while holding his phone between his knees.
Mitchell stated: “The defendant had been warned to slow down but was still travelling at least 77 mph in a 30 mph zone. He was high on drugs and alcohol and was preoccupied with his phone, which was between his knees and was playing music.”
Mohammed was reportedly travelling quickly when he struck Mrs. Whittaker as they were both approaching the crest of a hill. Mohammed’s automobile “appeared out of control” as it turned quickly before rolling over “several times” as it struck bollards and a parked car, according to the ambulance driver who was delivering a patient to the hospital at the same time. Mohammed, who was unharmed, then received assistance from the ambulance’s paramedics as he exited the car’s window. Minor injuries were received by his passenger.
Mr Mitchell said: “At the scene, the defendant asked a paramedic if he had hit someone. The defendant was asked if he had been on his mobile phone and he accepted he had been. Members of the public had also gathered.”
Mohammed’s Toyota, according to a bystander who reportedly saw the collision, “flipped over on its roof and landed back on its wheels.” The vehicle was travelling “not less than 77mph in a 30mph zone” at the time, according to a speed report, the court was told.
According to Mr. Mitchell, Mohammed provided a breath sample, which proved that he was driving while intoxicated, and a blood sample revealed that he had cannabis in his system. He stated: “Cross-referencing and analysis of his phone revealed that he was using an app to stream music. That device was repeatedly unlocked throughout the trip either by inputting a six-digit pin code or by registering a finger print. Just before the crash, the defendant was talking on the phone.” Mohammed had an international driver’s licence, the court was informed, and was not operating his vehicle in line with a provisional driver’s licence at the time of the collision.
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