[caption id="attachment_102" align="alignnone" width="810"] Nasrin Saleh (Image: Merseyside Police)[/caption] A Mum who hit a roundabout with her car and killed her buddy. Before the horrific collision that killed Luqman Mehboob, 26-year-old Nasrin Saleh was recorded traveling at 103 mph. A court heard that she had used nitrous oxide, also known as laughing gas, prior to the crash. The canisters could be heard popping as the automobile caught fire, and a witness said they sounded like "gun shots." On Monday, June 5, Saleh was adjudicated in Liverpool Crown Court. According to Liverpool Echo, she earlier entered a guilty plea to causing death via reckless driving. Saleh, of Colville Street in Wavertree, had gone out on a night out in Manchester on October 9, 2021, prosecutor Arthur Gibson said the court. She had been with two friends who decided to return to Liverpool at around 1.45am on October 10. Saleh stayed behind, nevertheless, to hang around with his pal Shujata Begum. Mr. Begum had promised to see Saleh while traveling with his sister. Mr. Begum and Saleh departed shortly after 2 a.m. to visit a corner store. They were leaving when a Volkswagen Golf GTI arrived. The 28-year-old driver was Mr. Mehboob. Although he had borrowed it, the car actually belonged to Mr. Mehboob's cousin. The prosecution said that the meeting was not accidental and that Saleh and Mr. Mehboob had spoken before the latter's arrival. As Mr. Mehboob drove Saleh and Mr. Begum through Manchester's downtown, they were listening to music. Mr. Begum had stated, "I had no reason to be concerned about his driving. He didn't appear to be driving too fast or be drinking too much. He appeared to be sober. To return to Liverpool, they next got on the highway. Mr. Begum then realized that both Mr. Mehboob and Saleh were utilizing nitrous oxide canisters. Later, he reported to the police that Saleh "had loads of these, about two to three boxes, each containing 15 canisters." Around 4.15 am, Mr. Begum was dropped off on Upper Stanhope Street so he could drive himself back to his vehicle. Mr. Mehboob was still driving when Mr. Begum observed the Volkswagen leave. The vehicle then sped out of the city center; it was captured on camera leaving a Shell garage on Liverpool Road. There were no signs that the car had been driven erratically or at a high rate of speed. Saleh eventually took over the wheel, though, and the vehicle swung around to travel back toward Liverpool's downtown. Due to Saleh's "no comment" response during a police questioning, it is unknown when or where the swap took place. A witness was traveling on East Prescot Road at the posted speed limit of 40 mph just before 4.45 am. He observed the Volkswagen pass him quickly—he put the speed at more above 80 mph. He observed the vehicle traveling swiftly along the street as it neared the roundabout separating Pilch Lane and East Prescot Road. The automobile slammed into the roundabout, sending its front end flying before rolling onto its side and finally onto its roof. It caught fire about 10 seconds later. A nearby dog walker claimed that just prior to what he described as "an almighty noise of a collision," he heard the car speeding swiftly. Then there were several loud bangs that he mistook for gunshots. In fact, they were the remaining nitrous oxide canisters exploding in the fire. A residence on East Prescot Road, 470 meters from the junction, had CCTV footage that was discovered during additional police investigations. A camera captured the Volkswagen traveling at 103 mph. The car was seen braking roughly 80 meters from the roundabout on video captured by the local Aldi's CCTV camera, yet the vehicle's 103 mph speed would have called for a 252 meter stopping distance. As the fire started, taxi driver Russell Cooper came on the scene. He jumped out of his car, grabbed the fire extinguisher, and hurried over to the Volkswagen. He managed to yank Saleh from the rubble, but the fire grew hotter. She asked: "We swapped, we were doing balloons, me baby, me friend, is he still in there" as Mr. Cooper carried Saleh away to safety. The cabbie went back to the fire and attempted to speak to Mr. Mehboob, but he was not responding. Due to the intensity of the fire and smoke, Mr. Cooper was compelled to take a backward step. Despite the arrival of Merseyside Police, fire, and ambulance teams on the scene, Mr. Mehboob was unable to be saved. Saleh was rushed to the hospital by ambulance after suffering injuries, including a fracture to her lower left leg and ankle. After the fire was put out, the body of Mr. Mehboob was discovered. He had sustained severe head and internal injuries, which meant he lost consciousness right away, ultimately leading to his death, according to a post-mortem examination. Although Saleh had a driver's license, neither she nor Mr. Mehboob had auto insurance to operate the Volkswagen. Saleh's blood sample contained small amounts of alcohol and traces of medications used for medical purposes. Testing for nitrous oxide is not possible even though she inhaled it. However, the chemical can also cause euphoria, sedation, confusion and disorientation, dizziness, lack of coordination, and hallucinations, according to the author of the toxicology study, with intoxication typically lasting between 30 seconds and two minutes. Mr Gibson read a statement to the court from Mr Mehboob's mother. About the day of the crash, she said: "Our nightmare began. The nightmare we never woke up from". She described her son as "the life and soul of all of our family events" She said he had a "caring and supporting nature" and was a "pillar of the community". She said: "Every day we are searching for normality" and added: "I break down completely, pleading for him to come back".

In mitigation, Fuad Arshad said that Saleh "fully accepted that it was her actions and her actions alone that resulted in the death of Mr Mehboob." He added that his client acknowledged that she drove at excessive speed and that her driving "caused a substantial risk of danger to other road users".

He pointed to his client's lack of previous convictions and the fact she is a mother to a six-year-old boy. He said she had shown "real sorrow and remorse" and had a "sincere feeling of guilt".

He added that Saleh is "struggling to come to terms with her conduct" and suffers flashbacks to the crash, which often occur in nightmares. She has also developed post-traumatic stress disorder.

Mr Arshad described Saleh as a "broken person carrying now, for the rest of her life, a heavy burden of guilt". Sentencing, Judge David Aubrey KC said: "Luqman Mehboob was such a special person to so many and a good friend of yours. He had his whole life in front of him and many a dream as to his future.

"All that came to an abrupt end in the early hours of that Sunday morning while members of his closely-knit family are anxiously making phone calls seeking to ascertain his whereabouts. There remains emptiness - a massive hole in his family's hearts."

The judge told Saleh "Mr Mehboob died in the most terrible circumstances". He added: "You chose to drive a powerful car at grossly excessive speeds in a state of euphoria having taken nitrous oxide. Source: BirminghumLive