Exclusive:Cowardly killer driver Hamza Hussain fled Sheffield crash scene as friend lay unconscious and close to death
“This is a cautionary tale of a young, and inexperienced driver behind the wheel of a powerful motor vehicle in the early hours of the morning”
A cowardly killer driver fled from a crash scene after a collision which left one friend dead and another seriously injured.
The actions of the speeding driver, who was behind the wheel of a “sporty” car when he lost control on the approach to a roundabout, have been described as a “cautionary tale” by a city judge.
Hamza Hussain is believed to have been driving at around 61mph as he approached Bramall Lane roundabout, off St Mary’s Gate in Sheffield city centre, which is subject to a 40mph limit.
Hussain lost control of the car, his friend’s VW Golf F vehicle, causing it to crash into concrete street furniture shortly before 2am on June 17, 2024.
As his two passengers, 18-year-old Mohammed Waheed - along with a 15-year-old boy - were laid in the vehicle, seriously injured and unconscious, cowardly Hussain fled the scene in the immediate aftermath of the crash.
Mohammed is believed to have been travelling in the front passenger seat, without a seatbelt on, while the boy was travelling in the back with his seatbelt on.
They were both rushed to hospital to be treated, after a third party rang the emergency services.
Mohammed, who suffered catastrophic head injuries, could not be saved and died in hospital two days later.
Hussain this morning (Tuesday, May 19, 2026) appeared at Sheffield Crown Court to be sentenced for causing Mohammed’s death by dangerous driving, in front of a packed public gallery.
Many of those present attended court wearing black hoodies featuring a picture of Mohammed, alongside the date of his tragic death.
“They were unresponsive, and close to death - in the case of the boy who died.”
Sending Hussain to begin a prison sentence of five years, four months, Judge Graham Reeds KC said: “This is a cautionary tale of a young, and inexperienced driver behind the wheel of a powerful motor vehicle in the early hours of the morning.
“Distracted by having loud music and friends in the car, you were travelling too fast for the road conditions.
“Whether you were just showing off or were incapable of driving at those speeds is neither here nor there - you crashed the car at speed.”
He said he regarded Hussain’s decision to “run away, leaving his friends in an injured state” to be an aggravating factor in the case.
Judge Reeds added: “They were unresponsive, and close to death - in the case of the boy who died.”
“It was an attempt to avoid responsibility for what you knew you did.”
“He was loved beyond words, and will be missed beyond measure”
Often speaking through tears, Mohammed’s mother came into the courtroom’s witness box to read out a heart-rending victim impact statement on behalf of their family.
She said: “He was loved beyond words, and will be missed beyond measure.
“We miss him so much, every day…we miss his cheeky smile, which we will never forget.
“Firstly, we grieve his death, secondly we grieve for the future that was taken from him, and us.
“Our son was only 18 when his life was taken from us. He was our first son, and with that came great responsibility…we had high hopes of him as a future leader of a family, as a role model for his siblings.”
“We had dreams to see him study, get married, and live a good life, rooted in family and faith,” she added.
She said Mohammed was growing into a kind, caring and responsible young man when the tragedy occurred.
“His future was full of hope and now all that has been taken away,” she said.
“Our hearts are broken, and we will never be the same again.
“It wasn’t just one life lost, his death has shattered so many others.
“He was our heart, he was our pride, he always will be.”
Mohammed’s mother said that while the family’s hopes for his future had been stolen, their new hope was for justice to be served for him through the sentence passed down to Hussain.
Killer driver retrieved phone from crash scene - but failed to call emergency services
Prosecutor Angus MacDonald told the court that after fleeing the scene of the crash, Hussain returned to the vehicle to retrieve his phone, but did not call the emergency services.
He did, however, call his sister, and returned to the scene once more, by which time police had arrived on the scene.
Hussain, then aged 21, failed to tell the attending officers he was the driver of the vehicle, which belonged to his friend, the court heard.
He was also not insured to drive the vehicle.
He subsequently handed himself in to Shepcote Lane police station hours after the collision.
Judge Reeds told the hearing that in his view, Hussain, of Harney Close, Darnall, Sheffield, only chose to admit his involvement in the crash after “realising the inevitability" of being identified as the driver.
In his initial accounts, Hussain falsely told officers that he was travelling at the speed limit, and claimed the injuries he presented with at the police station were caused by a group of unknown males who attacked him shortly after the crash.
Judge Reeds told Hussain, now aged 23: “You still lied about how you came by the injuries caused by the airbags…you lied about your speed…all to avoid proper punishment for what you knew you had done.”
Crash passenger struggling with “permanent emptiness” after friend’s death
The second passenger injured in the crash suffered a number of serious injuries including fractures to his spine and nose, and damage to his abdomen and bowel.
Mr MacDonald told the hearing that the boy, now aged 17, had to undergo surgery for his bowel injury, and is likely to remain at risk of bowel obstructions for the rest of his life, which will require monitoring.
A statement from the boy was submitted to the court in the moments before Judge Reeds passed sentence, in which he described the continuing emotional and psychological damage caused by the crash, which includes post-traumatic stress disorder.
The boy described the heartbreak caused by the death of his friend as leaving a “permanent emptiness” in his life, adding that he is plagued by nightmares in which he sees Mohammed’s face.
Mr MacDonald said crash investigators determined that while travelling in excess of the speed limit, Hussain had “caused the vehicle to lose directional control.”
Hussain subsequently attempted to “oversteer” as the vehicle approached the roundabout, causing it to collide with concrete street furniture.
He said that whilst Hussain was assessed as having been travelling at 61mph on the approach to the roundabout, there was the possibility for a four-mile margin of error above and below that speed, putting the likely range at between 57mph and 65mph.
Judge Reeds said it was also important to note the model of vehicle driven by Hussain was a VW Golf R, which is a more “sporty and powerful” version of the car.
Hussain pleaded guilty to charges of causing death by dangerous driving; causing serious injury by dangerous driving and causing death by driving a vehicle - driver unlicensed / uninsured at an earlier hearing.
Defendant’s mitigation
Defending, Matthew Harding prefaced his mitigation by telling the court that nothing he said was intended to “detract from the impact” of Hussain’s offending.
He referred Judge Reeds to references submitted to the court on Hussain’s behalf, along with his pre-sentence report, and a letter written by Hussain himself.
Mr Harding argued that the regret and remorse expressed by Hussain is genuine, adding that the report “paints a vivid picture of the impact of the loss of his friend.”
Hussain, he asserted, also acknowledges the heartbreaking impact on Mohammed’s family.
“The courts increasingly realise the extent to which age and immaturity can affect offending. The reality is younger males are sadly more likely to be impulsive, and make errors of judgement. In cases such as these, they can have tragic circumstances,” he said.
As he passed sentence, Judge Reeds said that while no sentence passed down is intended to, or could, represent the value of Mohammed’s life, it is intended to give his family “a measure of justice” for what Hussain did.
He also banned Hussain from driving for seven years, eight months, after which time he will be required to take an extended test.