Driver Sentenced to Nine Years for Fatal Head-On Collision

A motorist has been sentenced to nine years in prison after a head-on collision that resulted in one fatality and serious injuries to another individual. Shangeeth Sathyanathan, aged 20, was operating an Audi A5 on the incorrect side of Great Hampton Street in Hockley, Birmingham, when the deadly incident occurred in August of the previous year. According to West Midlands Police, he was traveling at 75mph in an area with a 30mph limit, having overtaken two vehicles prior to colliding with a Nissan Qashqai. Sathyanathan pleaded guilty to charges of causing death by dangerous driving, causing serious injury by dangerous driving, and driving without insurance, receiving his sentence at Birmingham Crown Court on Friday. Police authorities stated that the Nissan’s driver sustained severe spinal injuries, and a female passenger died as a result of the collision. During the Friday hearing, Sathyanathan, whose address is Brettell Lane, Brierley Hill, also received a driving disqualification for a period of 12 years and six months. Detective Sergeant Richard Evans, affiliated with the serious collision investigation unit, commented: “This was a deliberate decision by Sathyanathan to carry out a highly dangerous manoeuvre, at a speed very significantly in excess of the speed limit.” The presiding judge characterized the incident as horrifying, noting that the survival of the Qashqai’s driver was solely due to good fortune.