Powerful BMW M3 'sounded like jet engine' moments before killing teenager on Leeds road
A teenager died after a powerful BMW, being driven beyond the speed limit, ploughed into another car.
A high-performance BMW was described as “sounding like a jet engine” as it overtook a car, seconds before ploughing into another and killing a teenager.
Georgia Bendelow was a passenger in a red Seat Mii that was struck by the white BMW M3, driven by uninsured motorist, Thomas Sherwood.
The 18-year-old died from catastrophic head injuries in hospital two days later. Her mother had been driving the Seat while Georgia’s boyfriend was a rear-seat passenger.
The BMW was travelling at an average speed of 80mph on the 50mph-limit Selby Road at Swillington Common, Leeds Crown Court was told.
Sherwood, 36, is on trial charged with causing death by dangerous driving, and two counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving, all of which he denies.
Opening the case for the Crown this afternoon, Brian Russell told the jury that the crash happened shortly after 6.30pm on August 31, 2022.
He said the red Seat Mii had pulled over at the side of the dual carriageway, facing the direction of Garforth, to pick up Georgia and her boyfriend.
The pair exited a house next to the road and got into the stationary car.
The Seat then began to pull away, first into the inside lane, then the outside lane.
Footage from CCTV cameras on nearby houses was played to the court, showing the devastating moment the speeding BMW smashed into the back of the Seat.
It sent the smaller car into a spin and then through a gap in the central reservation and onto the opposite carriageway.
It came to a stop and luckily was not struck by any traffic coming the other way.
The car had been pushed 30 metres from the moment of impact.
An air ambulance was called to airlift Georgia to hospital. Tragically, she could not be saved and died two days later.
Her mother and boyfriend were also hospitalised, with him requiring surgery on a fractured pelvis.
Sherwood, of Cartmel Drive, Halton, was arrested at the scene.
It was heard that Sherwood had borrowed the car that day from a friend and thought he was insured, but wasn’t.
Mr Russell added that forensic collision investigators had agreed that the BMW was travelling an average of 80mph on that stretch of road, and had applied the brakes a moment before impact, striking the Seat at 70mph.
Mr Russell said to the jury: “We invite you to consider the manner of his driving.
“This driving was, in fact, dangerous.
“It’s accepted he was familiar with the road but driving at 30mph over the speed limit, the risk of being unable to react to any potential hazard to avoid a collision becomes obvious.
“It’s therefore obvious that travelling in that way is dangerous.”
One witness, who gave evidence this afternoon, was in a car on the roundabout prior to exiting onto the A63 alongside Sherwood.
He described the M3 as “sounding like a jet engine” with a “whooshing sound” as it accelerated away from own vehicle.
He said he himself had been travelling at 40mph but the BMW was pulling away “all the time”.
He predicted the BMW was gong at 80mph “if not more”.
Meanwhile, the court was given a brief outline of Sherwood’s defence - that he accepted causing the death of Georgia, but through careless driving rather than dangerous driving.
He also alluded to the Seat pulling into the outside lane which gave him little chance of avoiding the collision.
The trial, which is expected to last the week, continues.