What began as a first date turned into a high-speed disaster when 20-year-old personal trainer Mazyar Azarbonyad caused a massive crash involving five police vehicles, leaving seven officers injured and landing himself in a young offender institution for 14 months.
The chaotic scene unfolded on April 9 on the A1 near Denton Burn, Newcastle, after Azarbonyad fled from officers who had attempted to stop him over a faulty rear light. With a woman he had just been on a date with in the passenger seat, he initially pulled over, but suddenly sped away, reportedly saying “nah” as an officer approached the car.
Azarbonyad, who only held a provisional licence and had no insurance, reached terrifying speeds of up to 120 mph before slamming on the brakes in the middle of the carriageway, causing a pile-up of police cars behind him. Officers were trapped, some rendered unconscious, and one suffered nerve damage that kept her in hospital for three days. Four of the injured officers are still off duty.
His passenger, now under investigation for alleged drug possession, repeatedly begged him to stop, fearing he would kill someone. The court heard that Azarbonyad claimed he panicked when the woman told him she had drugs in the car, though the judge was unconvinced by that excuse.
Newcastle Crown Court learned that this was not his first brush with driving offences. He already had eight points on his licence from two previous convictions and, astonishingly, continued driving after this crash, violating his interim ban and getting arrested again days later at a petrol station.
Judge Tim Gittins described the incident as “nothing short of a miracle” that no lives were lost, calling Azarbonyad’s actions deliberate and dangerous. “You should have been nowhere near the driving seat of any vehicle that night,” he said.
Originally from Iran, Azarbonyad arrived in the UK as a refugee at 14, after losing his uncle during their journey. His defence argued that he is “terrified” of prison and has since lost his job as a personal trainer.
Alongside the 14-month sentence, he has been banned from driving for three years and must pass an extended test before regaining a licence. For now, the wreckage on the A1 stands as a grim reminder of one reckless decision that could have ended in tragedy.
