London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Oct 21, 2025

Bradford Toller Lane crash inquest: Driver 'twice alcohol limit'

Bradford Toller Lane crash inquest: Driver 'twice alcohol limit'

The driver of a car which crashed killing all four occupants was twice the legal drink-drive limit and had taken drugs, an inquest has heard.

Murtza Chaudhry, 21, was driving the BMW, which was also carrying Arbaaz Hussain, 21, Zeeshan Khalid, 20 and Tayyab Siddique, 22, when it hit a tree on Toller Lane, Bradford, in 2018.

The car was being followed by police after it overtook marked and unmarked police cars at speed.

The inquest is due to last five days.

The virtual hearing, led by senior coroner Martin Fleming, heard all four men died of multiple injuries shortly after the collision at about 05:30 BST on 2 August 2018.

PC Robert Hoyle, of West Yorkshire Police, told the inquest he was in the unmarked police vehicle and watching out for a car involved in burglaries in the Wilsden area when the BMW driven by Mr Chaudhry went by.

PC Hoyle said about 65 seconds passed between the car being spotted and the crash occurring.

'Foot to the floor'


When asked by the coroner if the BMW looked to be slowing down at any stage, PC Hoyle responded that "it probably accelerated".

"At one point I was travelling at 100mph and it was still ahead," he said.

Sgt Benjamin Marrow, also in the unmarked car, said they followed the BMW due to the manner it was being driven - crossing the central white line and going the wrong side of a bollard - and it being a similar colour to the car thought to be involved in the Wilsden burglaries.

Asked if the blue lights and siren had an effect on the speed of the BMW, he said: "I would describe it as 'foot to the floor' and [it] kept going to get away as fast as the car would let them."

All four men, who were from Bradford, died at the scene on Toller Lane despite the efforts of police officers and paramedics

A statement from toxicologist Elizabeth Fox which was read out in court said Mr Chaudhry was found to have consumed alcohol at a level of 176mg per 100ml of blood - with the legal limit being 80mg.

He had also taken cocaine and cannabis, the inquest was told.

Det Sgt Fiona Allen told the hearing that an axe was found in the driver footwell of the BMW and a knuckleduster was on a seat, while a hammer and a second axe were found outside the car.

Mr Chaudhry was disqualified from driving at the time of the crash and was not insured to drive the vehicle, she said.

Asked by the coroner if there was any suggestion the car's occupants had been "engaging in criminality", including the burglaries, prior to the crash, she said: "From the inquiries we made, there was nothing to suggest it was linked."

Statements from the families of those who died were read out earlier in the hearing, with Mr Chaudhry's grandfather calling him "personable and well-mannered".

Mr Hussain's mother said she shared a "special bond" with her son, who she said had a "beautiful heart".

Mr Khalid was described by his mother as having a passion for sport and enjoyed cricket, boxing, tennis and badminton.

Mr Siddique's family said he was "always generous and charitable" and his son was born the January after his death.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Apple Challenges EU Digital Markets Act Crackdown in Landmark Court Battle
Nicolas Sarkozy begins five-year prison term at La Santé in Paris
Japan stocks surge to record as Sanae Takaichi becomes Prime Minister
This Is How the 'Heist of the Century' Was Carried Out at the Louvre in Seven Minutes: France Humiliated as Crown with 2,000 Diamonds Vanishes
China Warns UK of ‘Consequences’ After Delay to London Embassy Approval
France’s Wealthy Shift Billions to Luxembourg and Switzerland Amid Tax and Political Turmoil
"Sniper Position": Observation Post Targeting 'Air Force One' Found Before Trump’s Arrival in Florida
Shouting Match at the White House: 'Trump Cursed, Threw Maps, and Told Zelensky – "Putin Will Destroy You"'
Windows’ Own ‘Siri’ Has Arrived: You Can Now Talk to Your Computer
Thailand and Singapore Investigate Cambodian-Based Prince Group as U.S. and U.K. Sanctions Unfold
‘No Kings’ Protests Inflate Numbers — But History Shows Nations Collapse Without Strong Executive Power
Chinese Tech Giants Halt Stablecoin Launches After Beijing’s Regulatory Intervention
Manhattan Jury Holds BNP Paribas Liable for Enabling Sudanese Government Abuses
Trump Orders Immediate Release of Former Congressman George Santos After Commuting Prison Sentence
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
Former Lostprophets Frontman Ian Watkins Stabbed to Death in British Prison
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
Outsider, Heroine, Trailblazer: Diane Keaton Was Always a Little Strange — and Forever One of a Kind
Dramatic Development in the Death of 'Mango' Founder: Billionaire's Son Suspected of Murder
Two Years of Darkness: The Harrowing Testimonies of Israeli Hostages Emerging From Gaza Captivity
EU Moves to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Buy U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
Europe Emerges as the Biggest Casualty in U.S.-China Rare Earth Rivalry
HSBC Confronts Strategic Crossroads as NAB Seeks Only Retail Arm in Australia Exit
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
Surging AI Startup Valuations Fuel Bubble Concerns Among Top Investors
Australian Punter Archie Wilson Tears Up During Nebraska Press Conference, Sparking Conversation on Male Vulnerability
Australia Confirms U.S. Access to Upgraded Submarine Shipyard Under AUKUS Deal
“Firepower” Promised for Ukraine as NATO Ministers Meet — But U.S. Tomahawks Remain Undecided
Brands Confront New Dilemma as Extremists Adopt Fashion Labels
The Sydney Sweeney and Jeans Storm: “The Outcome Surpassed Our Wildest Dreams”
Erika Kirk Delivers Moving Tribute at White House as Trump Awards Charlie Presidential Medal of Freedom
British Food Influencer ‘Big John’ Detained in Australia After Visa Dispute
ScamBodia: The Chinese Fraud Empire Shielded by Cambodia’s Ruling Elite
French PM Suspends Macron’s Pension Reform Until After 2027 in Bid to Stabilize Government
Orange, Bouygues and Free Make €17 Billion Bid for Drahi’s Altice France Telecom Assets
Dutch Government Seizes Chipmaker After U.S. Presses for Removal of Chinese CEO
Bessent Accuses China of Dragging Down Global Economy Amid New Trade Curbs
U.S. Revokes Visas of Foreign Nationals Who ‘Celebrated’ Charlie Kirk’s Assassination
AI and Cybersecurity at Forefront as GITEX Global 2025 Kicks Off in Dubai
×