A taxi driver who drove through a red light and struck a cyclist, leaving him paralysed, has avoided a prison sentence, after a judge concluded that the motorist “did not intend to cause harm”, with a court hearing that his decision to jump the red light was “spurred by the pressure of a busy junction”.
Khalid Mohammad, formerly Haroon Malik, pleaded guilty to causing serious injury by careless driving and was handed a 19-week sentence, suspended for 12 months, following the collision last September, which left the cyclist unable to walk and forced to spend months in hospital.
On 16 September 2024, 66-year-old taxi driver Mohammed was stopped at a junction in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, for 11 seconds when he began driving through a red light and hit a 53-year-old cyclist, who was approaching from the right on Wedgewood Street, where the lights were green, StokeonTrentLive reports.
Describing the horrific incident in Stoke-on-Trent Court last week, prosecutor Barry White said the cyclist is “now completely paralysed”, with White arguing that Mohammed “should have been paying more due care and attention”.
“He was riding his bike up Wedgwood Street when Mr Mohammad was approaching the junction from Moorland Road in his Toyota Prius,” White told the court.
“Mr Mohammad entered the junction and waited for an opportunity to turn. It was busy, so he didn’t get a chance to turn while the light was green.
“But, after the light had been on red for 11 seconds, he made a risky manoeuvre and turned. The lights had gone green for the cyclist, so he had begun travelling across the junction. As he passed in front of Mr Mohammad, the defendant turned and hit him.”
One witness also said that they saw the cyclist cross through the junction, which was particularly busy at the time, before a driver pulled out at “around 5mph”, causing the rider to collide with the side of the vehicle.
Swan Square, Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, appraoaching from Wedgewood Street (credit: Google Streetview)
In a victim impact statement written last year, the cyclist told the court that on the day of the crash, “my life changed forever”.
“Unlike the driver, who simply had his car repaired and began enjoying meals with his family again in a matter of weeks, I spent weeks suffering delusions while recovering,” the 53-year-old’s statement read.
“After waking, I could only communicate through facial movements or clicks. I only became able to eat after being transferred to Southport Spinal Facility. While the driver spends every day with his family, I spend my most of my time in hospital alone.
“I miss my family. I miss my wife. I miss my son. I’m now missing Christmas, his last year of high school, and his prom.”
Mitigating, Matthew Ness claimed that the crash, and Mohammad’s decision to drive through a red light, was a horrific stain on “an otherwise perfect driving record”, one which has also led to him losing his job as a taxi driver.
“This is a genuinely tragic case,” Ness said in court. “There is nothing I can say that alters the reality or alleviates the suffering of the cyclist and his family. Mr Mohammad acknowledges that his lapse of judgement, however momentary, has caused such devastation. He will be filled with guilt for the rest of his life.
“He came to the UK in 2000, before getting a driving licence in 2005. He worked as a chef before eventually becoming a taxi driver 12 years ago. His driving record has been unblemished and he is of previous good character.
“This was a poorly executed manoeuvre, spurred by the pressure of a busy junction. The severest punishment he will ever face is having to live with the guilt of what he has done. He has lost his employment, and he will not be able to become a taxi driver again, which is the only employment he can find thanks to his health conditions.”
Mohammad was sentenced to 19 weeks in prison, suspended for a year, and banned from driving for 12 months. He has also been ordered to pay £500 in costs.
Sentencing the 66-year-old, recorder Robert Smith told him: “In the police interview, you made immediate admissions and expressed remorse. I accept you are sorry for what you did.
“You are described as a hard-working family man. You were setting about your normal workday. You did not intend to cause harm that day. But the consequence of the collision – short of the cyclist dying – couldn’t have been any worse. The impact on his family has been immense and their statements to the court were highly moving.
“You are the culprit behind a world of pain. But you didn’t intend to cause this. I accept that prison would also have a negative impact on the care you provide for your disabled son. The truth is, no sentence could alleviate the cyclist’s suffering. And sentencing is not about retribution.”