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"Cover-up" on Leeds horror crash
AN out-of-control Leeds road sweeper driver's 18-ton truck crashed head-on into an oncoming car, killing a woman passenger, a court heard.
Robert Bolam's faulty truck careered on to the opposite carriageway of the A650 at Drighlington and smashed into a Peugeot 106.
Front-seat passenger Yasmin Nazir, 30, of Wakefield, was killed instantly in a the car being driven by husband Mohammed. He was seriously injured though their daughter Isha escaped relatively unharmed.
The court heard that Bolam's boss took part in an attempt to cover up the fault that led to the crash.
It was claimed in court that Bolam was had been talking on his phone, which was open in his lap at the time of the crash, just after midday on October 5, 2006.
Prosecutors claim Bolam, 44, of Topcliffe Lane, Morley, had to brake sharply when faced with a queue at temporary traffic lights. He is alleged to have lost control because the anti-lock braking system (ABS) failed.
The jury was told Bolam, who worked for Angus Heron Ltd, had known of the fault because a brake fault light had lit up in his cab on 127 previous occasions.
Prosecutor Paul Greaney said Bolam's boss Andrew Pinder, 41, was aware of the ABS brake fault.
It is claimed Pinder, transport manager and director, asked a mechanic to create false service records for the road sweeper truck after the crash.
The jury was told Pinder went to the scene of the accident on October 5 2006 and took the phone away.
Police later found the phone wrapped in silver foil in the glovebox of Bolam's car.
It is also claimed Bolam told a witness at the scene: "I couldn't stop, I was going too fast."
Bolam later denied making the comment and said the accident happened after he had swerved to avoid a cat on the road, which has a speed limit of 60mph but 40mph for the road sweeper.
Bolam denies causing death by dangerous driving.
Pinder, of Roundhill Close, Bradford, denies aiding and abetting causing death by dangerous driving and perverting the course of justice.
Proceeding
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Weather for Leeds
Friday 25 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 10 C to 23 C
Wind Speed: 20 mph
Wind direction: East
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Sunny
Temperature: 8 C to 20 C
Wind Speed: 16 mph
Wind direction: East
