BMW driver 'was texting girlfriend' as he ploughed into women killing two
A MOTORIST is accused of texting his girlfriend moments before ploughing into a group of young women, killing two, a court heard.
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Mohmed Salman Patel, 27, drove straight into the pedestrians without braking or trying to swerve out the way.
Three people were hit in the collision — which happened in the middle of the day — on the A59 in Brockholes Brow, Lancashire.
Rachel Murphy, 23, died at the scene and Shelby Maher, 17, died from her injuries in hospital after being thrown "a considerable distance" by the force of the impact.
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“He was more interested in his mobile phone that the road ahead”
Francis McEntee, prosecutor
A third victim, who was 15 at the time, was treated by paramedics at the side of the road and survived, Preston Crown Court heard.
Witnesses claim Patel was handling his mobile phone at the wheel of his BMW.
Prosecutors said he sent a text message to his girlfriend 42 seconds before he called 999 to report the crash.
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He later told police he didn't see the group in the road as he came up the hill, and denies two counts of causing death by dangerous driving.
Francis McEntee, for the prosecution, told the jury: "He was more interested in his mobile phone that the road ahead."
The court heard Patel, from Blackburn, Lancashire, travelled at least 60 metres in his car after the collision, before coming to a halt.
Mr McEntee went on to tell the jury: "We don't say he was sending a text message at the time of the collision.
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"But the last message he sent was a question and we maintain that the only answer to why he didn't see anyone in the road was he was more interested in finding out what the answer was to his question."
Patel has admitted two lesser counts of causing death by dangerous driving.
The trial continues.