Disqualified Driver Jailed 15 Years for Smethwick Toddler Crash Death

Sharjeel Shahzad, a 30-year-old disqualified driver, was sentenced to over 15 years in prison for causing a fatal hit-and-run crash in Smethwick, West Midlands. He was driving a stolen Porsche Cayenne with false plates at speeds up to 51mph in a 30mph zone when he overtook a vehicle before a bend and collided head-on with a Toyota Auris carrying two-year-old Shehbaz Singh and four adults. Shehbaz was unrestrained in the car and died despite emergency efforts, while his mother remains in a coma with life-changing injuries. Shahzad fled the scene immediately after the crash but was later caught through forensic evidence including fingerprints and DNA. He pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving, causing serious injury by dangerous driving, driving without a license or insurance, and failing to stop after the crash. Authorities and the judge condemned Shahzad as “callous and cowardly,” emphasizing his reckless disregard for the victims and noting his history of dangerous driving and evading police prior to the fatal accident.