A reckless teen caused £357,000 worth of damage after hitting speeds of 130mph before losing control and smashing into a family home in his dad’s BMW.
Samin Ahmed, 19, ploughed through the front of a house after a high-speed chase earlier this year. Officers said that the family members inside the property had been in the living room just moments before the crash and were lucky to have survived.
As reported by the Mirror, the incident unfolded near Hastings in Sussex on February 16 when Ahmed was spotted attempting a triple overtake by a patrol car. Police turned on their sirens and pursued Ahmed – but he drove at speeds of 110mph as he attempted to evade them.
The high-speed chase ended up going round a roundabout and then back up Coombe Valley Way – where Ahmed drove at 130mph on the 60mph road. Ahmed eventually turned off the road – still driving in excess of 100mph – and later lost control and crashed through the front of the home.
Family members had been in the living room just minutes before the collision – and were unable to live in the property for several months after. Ahmed’s DNA was found on the airbag which showed he had been driving the vehicle at the time of the crash.
The building has since been left with structural problems costing an estimated £357,000. Ahmed, from Bromley, southeast London, admitted dangerous driving and causing criminal damage.
At Lewes Crown Court on November 7, he was banned from driving for two years. The ex-security doorman also received an 18-month suspended prison sentence and must complete 250 hours of community service. He is also required to attend 15 Rehabilitation Activity Requirement sessions and pay fines totalling £1,187.
PC Lloyd Archer, involved in the pursuit of Ahmed, commented: “Ahmed’s reckless driving was appalling. He risked his own life as well as the safety of every other road user and resident, and is extremely lucky he did not cause a fatality that night. We are determined to catch offenders and to prevent drivers causing harm to themselves and innocent members of the public. So we are pleased that a dangerous driver has been taken off our roads.”
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