Teen sentenced over death crash

HARRIETT HAIGH (left) and the scene of the crash

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A TEENAGER has been sentenced after a head-on crash killed her young Oldham passenger.

Harriett Haigh's "thoughtless actions" led to the death of Sami Achour (17) and injured three others, a court heard.

The teenage motorist was sentenced to 30 months in a young offender institution. Sami, from Diggle, was in the back of the Polo VW, which ended up on its side in a ditch after crashing head-on with an Audi A3.

The ex-Saddleworth School student suffered multiple injuries in the "suicidal" overtaking manoeuvre in Greenfield Road on September 27 last year.

Duncan Ritchie, prosecuting, told Leeds Crown Court that Haigh, from Rochdale, had already overtaken other vehicles earlier on the journey towards Holmfirth before she pulled out to overtake a camper van as her VW Polo approached the crest of a hill on the A635 near Holmfirth.

She did not have a clear view ahead and failed to see the approaching Audi driven by firefighter Marlon Miller until it was too late.

Each tried to avoid the other but collided head on. As the Polo was lifted into the air the rear was struck by the camper van.

The Polo came to rest on its side off the road.

Adam Barnes, the other back-seat passenger in the car driven by Haigh, suffered life-threatening injuriesHarriett's then boyfriend Luke Stacey, who was in the front passenger seat, suffered abdominal injuries. Mr Miller suffered abdominal injuries which may limit his career as a firefighter.

Mr Ritchie said witnesses heard a young woman, who could only have been Haigh, say: "Look what's happened, it's my fault."

He said Haigh and a group of friends from the Oldham and Saddleworth area had decided to go to a cafe at Holmfirth after collecting Sami in Diggle.

She did not know where it was and was supposed to follow the car being driven by one of those friends but, after commenting she "did not want to be doing 30mph", had overtaken the friend on the climb to Saddleworth Moor.

Mark Smith, who was driving the camper van, said he saw Haigh driving behind him "like a bat out of hell" and described her decision to overtake as "a suicidal manoeuvre".

Peter Horgan, representing Haigh, said she accepted full responsibility for what happened and her poor judgment that day.

Haigh, 18, of Newbold Hall Drive, admitted causing the death of Sami by dangerous driving and three charges of causing serious injury by dangerous driving.

She was sentenced on Friday to 30 months in a young offender institution and disqualified from driving for four years.

Judge Mushtaq Khokhar told her: "This is a tragic case to say the least, not least because the young man who died had everything to live for.

"It shows a few moments of madness or thoughtlessness can ruin many lives."

Tony McNamara, uncle to Sami, told the Chronicle after the incident: "Sami had his whole life ahead of him."

"He was a bright student and was enjoying the next stage of his education at Hopwood Hall."