Mum high on nitrous oxide jailed after causing the death of her friend in a catastrophic collision

A mum high on nitrous oxide killed her passenger after crashing into a wall at a high speed.

Merseyside Police have confirmed that she has been jailed for four-and-a-half years for causing death by dangerous driving after a fatal collision in Knotty Ash in 2021.

Nasrin Saleh, 26, of Colville Street, was sentenced on Monday, 5 June at Liverpool Crown Court.

On Sunday 10 October, 2021 at around 4.45am, Nasrin was driving a car at 103mph after inhaling large quantities of nitrous oxide when she crashed into a wall next to a roundabout on Pilch Lane/East Prescot Road.

The passenger, 28-year-old Luqman Mehboob, was killed as a result of the collision. Footage taken from a nearby Aldi’s CCTV camera showed the car braking around 80m from the roundabout, but the 103mph speed would have required a 252m stopping distance.

Taxi Driver Russell Cooper arrived at the scene as the fire began. He ran towards the Volkswagen with an extinguisher he had in his car. He was able to drag Saleh from the wreckage but the fire quickly intensified. While Mr Cooper was carrying Saleh away to safety, she said, “We swapped, we were doing balloons, me baby, me friend, is he still in there”.

Cooper returned to the fire and tried to reach Mehboob but he was unresponsive. He was forced to step back due to the strength of the fire and smoke. Merseyside Police, fire and ambulance crews arrived at the scene but nothing could be done to save the man. Saleh suffered from a fracture to her lower left leg and ankle and was taken by ambulance to hospital.

Mehboob’s body was later recovered after the fire was extinguished. A post-mortem examination found that he suffered catastrophic head and internal injuries which meant he lost consciousness immediately, ultimately resulting in his death.

Although Saleh did have a driving license, neither she nor Mehboob were insured to drive the Volkswagen. Traces of drugs administered for medical purposes and a slight trace of alcohol were found in Saleh’s blood sample, reports have stated.

Following a thorough investigation, a file of evidence was passed to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) who later authorised a charge of causing death by dangerous driving.

As well as a prison sentence of four-and-a-half years, Saleh was also disqualified from driving for six years and three months, and will be required to take an extended driving test when eligible.

Detective Sergeant Kurt Timpson, Lead Investigating Officer for Merseyside Police Serious Collision Investigation Unit said: “This was an incredibly reckless and dangerous incident that tragically led to the death of Luqman Mehboob. The grossly excessive speed and use of nitrous oxide in this case is shocking and will never be tolerated. Our thoughts remain with Luqman’s family, who continue to be supported by specially trained officers.

“No sentence will or can ever reflect the loss of a life and Luqman’s family and friends continue to live through the pain and grief of his death. The family would ask that their privacy is respected at this time.

“Any death on the road causes a huge amount of lasting grief for the families of victims. We are committed to working with our partners to prevent deaths on our roads, by way of education and enforcement.

“Every death and serious injury on the road is a preventable tragedy and yet, on average, five people die every day on the roads in the UK.

“We therefore fully support the Road Safety approach, Vision Zero, as no death or serious injury is acceptable on our roads and we will work together with our communities to minimise risk”.