Dangerous driver admits killing one and injuring two after car flipped over

A driver has admitted killing one passenger and injuring two others when his Mercedes car flipped over and crashed on the motorway near Heathrow Airport.

Aadil Sabir, 31, had been due to face trial at the Old Bailey on Tuesday over the fatal collision at junction three of the M4 in west London on 29 October, 2023.

On Thursday, he pleaded guilty to causing the death of William Bailey by dangerous driving and causing serious injury to Azfur Khan and Hamad Zaman.

Sabir, of Pentre Gardens, Grangetown in Cardiff, entered his pleas by video link from Wales.

Judge Simon Mayo warned Sabir he faced a "lengthy custodial sentence" as he ordered a pre-sentence report and fixed a sentencing hearing for 23 November.

He granted Sabir continued conditional bail and imposed an interim driving disqualification.

Previously, the Metropolitan Police had issued an appeal for witnesses and dashcam footage of the incident which caused disruption on the approach to Heathrow Airport.

Officers were called at 11:39 to reports of an overturned car on the eastbound carriageway of the M4 near the Cranford Park Interchange.

Emergency services attended and four people were found with injuries, all of whom had been travelling in the defendant's Mercedes car, police said.

Bailey, who was aged in his 20s and a rear passenger in the vehicle, died at the scene.

Two other men, in their 20s, were taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries and a fourth was treated at the scene for minor injuries before being transferred to hospital, police said.

A post on social media in the aftermath of the crash showed a car on fire at the side of the motorway as someone tried to put out the flames with a fire extinguisher.

Another post showed firefighters dealing with the car after the fire had been put out.