Jailed: Charity worker killed Newport restaurant worker in A41 crash

Mark Ward was overtaking a lorry when he smashed head-on into a car carrying four restaurant workers on their way home from work.

Mohammed Miah, 35, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Ward, 20, of Padarn Close, Dudley, admitted causing death by dangerous driving and was sentenced to two years in prison at Shrewsbury Crown Court yesterday.

He also admitted a charge of causing serious injury by dangerous driving and received 18 months custody to run concurrently. He was also banned from driving for four years.

Mr Miah, from Walsall, had a wife and two children and worked at the Taste of Paradise restaurant in Newport.

Phillip Beardwell, prosecuting, said that just after midnight on January 24, 2016, Mr Miah was driving home on the A41 with three colleagues to Walsall when his Toyota car was struck head-on by a Mini Cooper.

Judge Jim Tindal said it was a “catastrophic and tragic incident”, adding: “Other drivers have to see the consequences of causing this sort of accident.”

Mr Beardwell said Ward was driving on the A41 when he came up behind a lorry heading towards a junction travelling at 50 to 55mph.

He attempted an overtake and when completed, the driver of the lorry, Barry Hartley, noticed a Toyota Yaris coming in the other direction.

He braked to allow the Mini to pull back in, however the Mini driven by Ward did not pull back in.

The Mini collided with the front of the Toyota causing a “massive impact”, Mr Beardwell said.

At the scene, Ward said: “I lost control, it wasn’t steering properly”, the court heard.

The Toyota had flipped on its side and Mr Miah was trapped inside.

Ward and the lorry driver turned the car back on its wheels.

A passenger in the car suffered a fractured skull and thigh, air had got into his skull cavity, he had bruising to his chest and a host of other injuries, and is still recovering.

Two other passengers in the car have made full recoveries.

In a police interview, Ward said he suffers with a trapped nerve in his shoulder that had seized up.

Simon Morgan, for Ward, said his client was confused and thought there were two lanes going in his direction, and that could be why he didn’t pull back after overtaking.

However he said that is no excuse and doesn’t effect his guilt.

He also did not see the oncoming car when he began to overtake, and that his client can’t explain why he did not break before the collision.

Mr Morgan added his client was a service manager for a young persons sexual health charity, and had carried out significant charity work throughout his life.

He wasn’t just of good character, he was of excellent character said Mr Morgan, and that he understood the enormity of what he had done.

Ward has suffered from nightmares and was on anti-depressants and has not driven since the crash.

Mr Morgan added his client was fully remorseful, admitted his guilt from an early stage and was devastated by the whole incident.

He said his client was a genuine asset to society and there was no benefit of sending him to prison, before urging Judge Tindal to suspend any sentence.

Judge Tindal said: “Nothing I can do or say can bring Mr Miah back.

“You are an unusual person to be in court, you’ve spent your life trying to help others.

“This was a momentary lapse but you chose to make this manoeuvre and it has amounted to dangerous driving.

“This was a tragedy and you have to bear the responsibility.

“You are the sort of person who will spend your time in prison thinking about what you have done, and come out more determined to make a positive difference to people’s lives.”

Judge Tindal said Ward will serve half of his two year sentence, will be banned from driving for four years and will have to take an extended retest.

Lesley Milner, senior crown prosecutor with West Midlands Crown Prosecution Service, said: “Mark Ward initially claimed that as he overtook the lorry, his arm seized up which prevented him from manoeuvring his car back to the correct side of the road, however, he later accepted his responsibility for the collision which resulted in the death of Mohammed Miah and serious injuries to the victim’s passengers who were travelling with him.

“Our thoughts are with the family of Mr Miah and his friends and colleagues .”