An uninsured driver who fled the scene of crash on the M61 - leaving a 12-year-old girl dying in the road - has been jailed for 18 months.
Hannah Jones, 26, of Bankfield Court, Mirfield, was sentenced at Preston Crown Court on Wednesday (March 15) after pleading guilty to causing death by careless driving and perverting the course of justice.
Safeer Isqbal, 32, of Lees Holm, Dewsbury, who was in the car with Jones, has been sentenced to eight months in prison after admitting to perverting the course of justice during an earlier plea hearing.
On July 6, 2019, Jones was driving a Vauxhall Corsa which had reached speeds of roughly 90mph when she collided with the rear of a Nissan Qashqai which was carrying several people at the time.
Sana Patel, 12, from Blackburn, was sat in the rear seat of the Qashqai and was thrown from the vehicle as it was overturned. Jones and Iqbal immediately fled the scene and checked into a nearby hotel to hide.
Meanwhile, members of the public on the scene attempted to administer CPR to Sana, however, she tragically died at the scene. In the following days, Jones was arrested at an address in Mirfield while Iqbal handed himself in to police in Preston.
Both initially claimed that Iqbal had been driving the vehicle and Jones was the passenger. But, Iqbal later admitted that he had agreed to "take the blame" for Jones and that he had been the passenger.
While Jones continued to deny she was driving, officers discovered deleted text messages on her phone which indicated she was the driver.
In a victim impact statement, Sana’s mother said: “We have still not recovered from the loss of our daughter. She was taken from us in an unimaginably violent and sudden way. Our hearts are left with this giant hole and a light has been extinguished in our life.”
They added: “We as a family will be suffering from this tragic event for the rest of our lives and we miss Sana every day.”
Sgt Marc Glass, from Lancashire’s Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said: “This was one of the most awful scenes I have ever had to attend, and I can only imagine what Sana’s family have gone through since that night. I thank them for their patience and understanding through the necessary stages of this investigation and the court proceedings.
“Rather than checking on the other people involved, Jones and Iqbal fled the scene then lied about which one of them was driving, thereby frustrating the police investigation, and prolonging the family’s suffering. I want to recognise the members of the public who provided first aid to Sana and helped her family to safety following the crash, and I thank them for what they did that night.
“Finally, I want to thank the investigation team for their diligence and dedication to finding the truth in what was a challenging investigation."
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