Driver sentenced to 10 years after fatal head-on collision kills elderly couple in Cambridgeshire
Zahid Majid, 37, attempted to overtake two farming vehicles in his BMW M3 but failed to return to his lane, last July
A driver has been sentenced to 10 years in prison after causing the deaths of an elderly couple in a head-on collision on the A1307 near Lolworth. The incident occurred shortly after 3pm on Saturday, 23 July 2022, when Zahid Majid, 37, attempted to overtake two farming vehicles in his BMW M3 but failed to return to his lane.
Majid, of Wallingford Gardens, High Wycombe, was driving at 60mph when his car collided with a red Fiat Panda, driven by William Wilson, with his wife Susannah in the passenger seat. The impact caused the Fiat to overturn, and both Mr and Mrs Wilson, known to friends and family as Susie and Tony, aged 80, of Rose and Crown Road in Swavesey, died at the scene.
Majid was extracted from his vehicle by firefighters and transported to hospital with two broken thighbones. During a police interview, he acknowledged being the driver but claimed no recollection of the incident. He responded “no comment” to all further questions.
After being charged with two counts of causing death by dangerous driving, Majid maintained his innocence. However, following a three-day trial at Cambridge Crown Court in August, the jury convicted him of both counts after less than three hours of deliberation. Majid was sentenced today at Peterborough Crown Court, where he received a 10-year prison term and a 12-year driving disqualification.
DC Kim Marshall, from the BCH Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said: “This is another heartbreaking case which is almost beyond belief. Mr and Mrs Wilson would still be alive had Majid paid attention to the road; his driving was simply dangerous.”
Mr and Mrs Wilson’s daughter, Anna Winspear, extended her gratitude to the investigation team, saying: “We lost so much in one single day; Susie and Tony were parents, grandparents, great grandparents and so much more. They were friends and extended family to so many and loved by all.
“We will miss them forever, and we hope that lessons can be learnt from incidents such as this one, to prevent more innocent lives from being so unnecessarily lost. We hope that they can now rest peacefully, together.”