A manhunt ensued after Hussain was identified
Shofiqul Hussain, aged 33, of Newham, London, was sentenced to 10 years in prison after he was caught with more than £200,000 worth of drugs.
He was found with the drugs stash several months after fleeing the scene of a serious collision in Hackney.
Snaresbrook Crown Court heard that on June 30, 2019, Hussain was driving a rental BMW in Hackney when the car hit a curb at speed after driving through red traffic lights.
He ended up colliding head-on with a private hire vehicle.
Following the crash, Hussain immediately got out of the car and fled the scene, leaving the taxi driver and his three passengers critically injured.
Almost two years after the crash, one of the victims is still suffering from injuries.
Police arrived at the scene and found the empty BMW. A search of the area was conducted but there was no trace of the driver.
The Metropolitan Police‘s Serious Collision Investigation Unit launched an investigation to locate the driver of the BMW.
The investigation included viewing CCTV, dashcam footage and forensic testing from the scene.
In addition, a public appeal was issued for the driver to hand himself in to the police, however, Hussain ignored the public appeal.
A manhunt ensued after Hussain was identified as being the driver.
On October 23, 2019, Hussain was apprehended by police after leaving an address in Loughton, Essex.
Hussain was arrested and found to be in possession of drugs.
The Loughton address was subsequently searched where further drugs were found. This included cocaine, heroin, MDMA and cannabis.
The drugs had an estimated street value of more than £200,000.
In February 2020, Hussain pleaded guilty to multiple counts of possession with intent to supply drugs and causing serious injury by dangerous driving.
Detective Inspector José-Paulo Qureshi, who led the investigation, said:
“Hussain fled leaving critically injured victims in his wake, avoiding arrest and continuing to supply illegal drugs.
“It was sheer luck this collision didn’t result in a fatality.”
“I am very pleased with the sentence handed down and that a dangerous driver and drug supplier has been removed from our roads and communities and that a significant amount of drugs will now not be sold on the streets of London.”
On March 5, 2021, Hussain was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
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