Street Racers Jailed for 28 Years After Killing Mum and Her 4-Year-Old Daughter in High-Speed Crash

Two drivers who turned a busy road in Leeds, England, into what a judge described as a racetrack have been jailed for a combined 28 years after a high-speed collision killed a young mother and her four-year-old daughter. Justyna Hulboj, 27, and little Lena Czepczor were simply walking to nursery when their lives were cut short by a crash that devastated their family.

The tragedy happened on the morning of January 16, 2023, on Scott Hall Road in Leeds. Justyna and Lena were making their way to the child’s nursery when a white Audi TT, driven by Hardeep Bhachu, mounted the pavement and struck them. The court heard that the Audi had been travelling at approximately 89 mph shortly before the collision, on a road where the speed limit was transitioning from 40 mph to 30 mph.

Bhachu, who admitted two counts of causing death by dangerous driving, had been racing alongside Jasskamal Riyat, who was driving a black BMW 135i. The two men were not known to each other before the incident. According to evidence presented in court, they accelerated aggressively after meeting at traffic lights, weaving through traffic and repeatedly driving at excessive speeds.

Dashcam and other footage helped investigators reconstruct the moments leading up to the crash. The court heard that the drivers discussed the performance and horsepower of their cars while stopped at a red light. Shortly before the fatal collision, Riyat reportedly used his mobile phone to film Bhachu’s Audi as both vehicles accelerated away. Bhachu then lost control, sending the Audi onto the pavement where Justyna was helping her daughter with her coat.

Riyat denied racing but was found guilty of the same offences following a trial. After the collision, he drove away from the scene rather than stopping to help the victims. At Leeds Crown Court on October 26, 2026, Judge Ray Singh sentenced Bhachu to 12 years in prison and Riyat to 16 years. Both men were also disqualified from driving for six years and must pass an extended driving test before returning to the road.

During sentencing, the judge stressed that public roads are not racetracks and that powerful cars do not give drivers permission to test their limits around other people. He said Justyna and Lena had done nothing wrong and were simply walking to nursery. The judge added that the consequences of competitive driving at extreme speed can be irreversible, and no court sentence could restore the lives that had been lost.

Justyna’s fiancé, Dominik Czepczor, attended the sentencing and shared the devastating impact of losing both his partner and daughter. In a statement read to the court, he described how his entire world collapsed in a single moment. He spoke of the future they had imagined together and the emptiness he continues to feel every day. For their family, the prison sentences mark the end of a long legal process, but the grief of losing a mother and her young daughter will remain.

Source: The Sun — October 26, 2026