Dudley charity worker is jailed for killing Walsall restaurant worker in 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 on the A41 at Newport in Shropshire. Ward, 20, of Padarn Close, Dudley, admitted causing death by dangerous driving 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, had a wife and two children and worked at the Taste of Paradise restaurant in Newport.

Phillip Beadwell, 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.

Mr Beardwell said Ward was driving a Mini Cooper 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.

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.

Judge Tindal said: “You are an unusual person to be in court, you’ve spent your life trying to help others. This was a tragedy and you have to bear the responsibility.”