For Mohammed Shaan Hussain’s family, one of the cruellest reminders of his death is having to speak about a young man with his whole life ahead of him in the past tense.
Shaan was just 20 when he died after a hired Lamborghini Urus crashed on the M62 in the early hours of 21 December 2022.
Almost four years later, his family say the pain of losing him has not become easier to bear.
His brother, Mohammed Sohail, described the anguish of remembering a life that should have been filled with possibilities.
“One of the hardest things for us is having to speak about our brother in the past tense,” he said in a statement presented to Leeds Crown Court.
“He was only twenty years old when his life was taken away. His life should have been spoken about in terms of what was still to come, not what had already been.”
His words came as Humaira Batool, 26, from Bradford’s Bankfoot area, was sentenced to 10 years in prison on Tuesday (3 November) for causing Shaan’s death by dangerous driving.
During her trial in September, the court heard that Batool had taken a turn behind the wheel of the hired supercar and reached speeds of up to 143mph.
At approximately 4.20am, while travelling westbound between junctions 22 and 23 of the M62, the vehicle went out of control in wet conditions.
It struck a barrier, overturned and caught fire.
Emergency services found Batool with serious leg injuries. Shaan suffered fatal injuries in the crash.
But behind the courtroom proceedings and the extraordinary speed involved was a family struggling to come to terms with the loss of a much-loved son and brother.
‘My son was the heartbeat of this home’
In an emotional statement to the court, Shaan’s mother, Nasreen, described the devastating absence left by her son’s death.
“My son was the heartbeat of this home. To lose him suddenly in this horror crash has broken us in ways we cannot put into words,” she said.
“He was just 20 years old — with his whole life ahead of him, dreams in his heart, and so much love to give.”
She remembered him as a beloved son, cherished brother and loyal friend whose loss had changed the family forever.
“My son cannot speak for himself now — so we will speak for him,” she said.
“He was kind, he was careful, he was loved beyond measure, and he was our hope for a better tomorrow.”
Nasreen acknowledged that no prison sentence could reverse what had happened.
“Nothing can bring our son back, and no sentence can undo the pain caused by his death.”
A kindness remembered beyond the family home
For Shaan’s brother, the grief is accompanied by pride in the person he was and the impression he left on others.
Mohammed Sohail told the court that even now, people he does not know approach him after discovering he is Shaan’s brother.
They share memories of Shaan’s kindness and his willingness to put others before himself.
“Hearing that is both beautiful and painful,” he said.
“It reminds me that the goodness we saw in Shaan at home was the same goodness he gave to everyone around him.”
His account offers a glimpse of the young man behind the headlines — someone whose life meant far more to those who knew him than the circumstances of his death.
Dangerous driving with devastating consequences
The investigation into the fatal collision was carried out by West Yorkshire Police’s Major Collision Enquiry Team.
Batool was subsequently arrested and charged in January 2024 with causing death by dangerous driving.
Following her trial in September, she was sentenced at Leeds Crown Court on 3 November.
Detective Inspector Paul Conroy, of the Major Collision Enquiry Team, said Batool’s driving had caused the death of a young man in the prime of his life and left his family facing a lifetime of loss.
“When any of us get behind the wheel we need to accept the responsibility of controlling a machine which can cause devastation if not handled responsibly,” he said.
He warned that the responsibility was particularly important when driving a powerful vehicle such as the Lamborghini involved in the collision.
“Her driving put herself and anyone near her on the motorway at risk and it sadly resulted in the tragedy we have seen in this case.”
A family’s loss that no sentence can repair
Shaan’s family thanked the police officers who investigated the collision, the Crown Prosecution Service and those involved in the court proceedings.
For them, the conclusion of the criminal case does not mark the end of their grief.
It is another milestone in a life without a son and brother whose future was cut short at 20.
As his mother told the court, the family simply want the lasting impact of his death to be understood.
“We have lost a son, a brother and a much loved member of our family, and that loss will remain with us for the rest of our lives.”
