Driver jailed for killing boy, 12, on bike

Azaan Khan was crossing the road when he was struck by Shazad Alam's car

A speeding driver who fatally struck a 12-year-old boy on a pedestrian crossing has been jailed.

Azaan Khan died after his bicycle was hit by a car as he crossed the A45 Coventry Road in Yardley, Birmingham, on the evening of 8 June last year.

Shazad Alam, 34, of Lowesmoor Road, Birmingham, pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving at an earlier hearing.

At Birmingham Crown Court on Thursday, Alam was jailed for eight years and nine months and banned from driving for an additional seven years.

A police review of CCTV footage established that Alam, who was driving a red BMW M3, had been speeding at between 53 and 62mph just before he struck Azaan on the busy 40mph road.

Judge Kristina Montgomery said the speed Alam was driving at was "incompatible with safe usage" and he had made a "deliberate decision to ignore the rules of the road".

The 34-year-old had crossed three lanes of traffic prior to the crash, further hindering his view of the road ahead.

"The collision was caused because you disregarded the weight of traffic on the road," the judge said.

Shazad Alam had a previous record of speeding, the court heard

Alam had previously been disqualified from driving twice and had accrued a number of points on his licence, including for speeding over 35mph above the speed limit.

Judge Montgomery said witnesses had described Alam speeding up prior to the crossing "plainly irritated by slow moving traffic ahead" of him.

"Your preoccupation with beating slow-moving traffic to your destination caused you to accelerate," she said.

The judge acknowledged that Alam was "genuinely remorseful" for the pain and suffering he had caused but did not recognise his driving as being dangerous.

"Azaan was a vulnerable road user with a bicycle, which offered no protection against lethal vehicles particularly driven at speed," Judge Montgomery told the court.

"His parents had to bear witness to attempts to save his life. His death would have been instant."

Azaan Khan had a "great sense of humour" and a "charm like no other," his family said

'Aggressive' driving

In a tribute issued through police, the 12-year-old's family said his smile and charisma "would fill any room he was in" and he had "left an imprint on anyone who was lucky enough to meet him".

"Azaan was our light, our comfort when life becomes too heavy, our warmth when the world felt cold," the statement said.

"We can only hope that Azaan's name, his story, will do something and will make people realise that we cannot let this be normal."

Det Sgt Paul Hughes, from West Midlands Police, said the incident showed the consequences of driving in a "clearly aggressive manner".

"This type of driving is not acceptable on any of our roads. I need all drivers to look at this and other cases and realise the consequences of those split-second decisions they make."