Driver who killed two on M20 hard shoulder jailed

A speeding driver who pleaded guilty to killing two women on the hard shoulder of the M20 in Kent has been jailed for 15 years.

Appearing at The Old Bailey on Friday, the court heard Bilal Tahir had clocked up speeds of more than 100mph in his black BMW X5 before crashing into Dr Habiba Hajallie and Lisa Webber between junctions one and two in October 2022.

One of the women had aquaplaned and the other stopped to help her in the moments before the crash, during which a third person, Mark Heap, was also injured.

Tahir, 29, of South Gipsy Road in Welling, London, previously admitted two counts of causing death by dangerous driving and one count of causing serious injury by dangerous driving.

Kent Police said that after the crash, which occurred during rush hour, Tahir had been breathalysed at the roadside and, having passed, was released under investigation.

He later attended a voluntary interview at Ashford Police Station where he claimed he was driving with "due care and attention" and had not been going too fast.

However, officers from the Serious Collision Investigation Unit found, via vehicle and mobile phone data, that he had been continuously speeding throughout his journey.

Five seconds before the crash, Tahir was said to have been travelling at 98mph when it is thought he lost control after hitting standing water on the carriageway.

Det Con Jim Galbraith, the investigating officer, said: "The deaths of Dr Habiba Hajallie and Lisa Webber, and the significant injuries caused to Mark Heap, are a tragedy caused by actions of one dangerous driver.

"Bilal Tahir was speeding recklessly that morning in appalling weather conditions where visibility was poor and rain was pooling on the road.

"He failed to recognise the significant risk he posed to other road users and has devastated multiple lives as a result.

"Tahir wouldn't accept responsibility of his actions until the weight of evidence against him led him to enter a guilty plea."

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