Man admits dangerous driving over death of toddler

BBC A metal fence on the left side of a road has blue and white police tape knotted around it. There are trees on the right side of the road and a white building is on the left of the photo.
BBC
Sharjeel Shahzad killed a toddler by driving dangerously on Dartmouth Road, Smethwick
Andrew Dawkins
BBC News, West Midlands

A man has admitted causing the death of a two-year-old boy by dangerous driving after a crash involving a Porsche on false number plates.

Sharjeel Shahzad, 30, changed his plea over the hit-and-run in Smethwick on 14 December, and also admitted two counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving.

He had previously denied he was driving dangerously when toddler Shehbaz Singh was fatally hurt, although he had admitted causing death and serious injury by careless driving in connection with the head-on crash.

Shahzad, from City Road in Birmingham, appeared via video link at Wolverhampton Crown Court on Friday. He is due to be sentenced on 4 July.

Shahzad was driving a Porsche Cayenne when he crashed into a Toyota Auris on Dartmouth Road.

Shehbaz, a passenger in the Toyota, died after he and four adults were taken to hospital.

Shahzad on Friday also pleaded guilty to failing to stop after a crash.

In January, he admitted driving other than in accordance with a licence, driving without insurance, and driving dangerously in June last year. Additionally in January, he pleaded guilty to driving while disqualified during December.

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