BMW driver who crashed car at roundabout at 115mph in 30mph zone jailed for two years

A reckless driver has been jailed for two years after he crashed his £85,000 sports car while doing 115mph in 30mph zone and then pretended he was not behind the wheel.

Kamar Farooq, 30, was filmed mounting a roundabout and crashing into a petrol station by a police-car dash-cam.

He was travelling at almost four times the legal speed limit on roads in Birmingham and Solihull, West Midlands Police (WMP) said.

During the dramatic chase, he was also followed by a police helicopter, which recorded his every move as he sped down the wrong side of a quiet street.

The driver, from Aston, Birmingham, denied being behind the wheel of the BMW M3, after jumping into the backseat after the crash and claiming he was a passenger.

However, he was caught out after CCTV images from earlier in the evening identified him as the driver.

Farooq, who raced down Washwood Heath Road in Birmingham, had already been banned from driving after he sped off from a police traffic stop last year.

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He was convicted at Birmingham Crown Court and jailed for two and a half years for dangerous driving and driving while disqualified. He was also given a ten-year driving ban.

PC Robert Lattimer, from the roads policing unit, said: “This was reckless driving by someone who should not have been behind the wheel.

“Officers had suspicions around the vehicle and tried to pull it over; but Farooq failed to stop and hit speeds of 115mph in 30mph zones.”

“He tried to deny being the driver despite our investigations which secured such strong evidence against him.

“This was a high performance vehicle and the outcome could have been much worse.

“He now faces a long time behind bars rather than behind the wheel of a car.”