Moment raging driver mounts pavement and mows down passer-by in parking ticket row
Shocking CCTV footage shown to a court captured the aftermath of a dispute between Samina Akhtar, 30, and a parking warden – ending with a pedestrian being hit and a car smashing into a lamppost
This is the moment a furious motorist drove her car onto the pavement before ploughing into a passer-by after a blazing row over a parking ticket.
Shocking CCTV footage shown to a court captured the aftermath of a dispute between Samina Akhtar, 30, and a parking warden – ending with a pedestrian being hit and a car smashing into a lamppost.
Footage shows Akhtar confronting the warden after parking her silver Vauxhall Astra at a bus stop in Bradford. As she was issued a ticket, Akhtar emerged from a nearby off licence shouting: “I just went to the shop for two minutes. Get the f*** out of here.”
She squared up to the warden before kicking her, prompting a passer-by to intervene. Bradford Crown Court heard Akhtar returned to her car and leaned through the passenger window brandishing a metal wheel brace at the passer-by “in a threatening manner”.
As her passenger got out to restrain her, Akhtar – described as being “in a state of anger” – began fighting with the passer-by and two of her friends.
The situation rapidly escalated as Akhtar got into the driving seat and carried out a three-point turn in the middle of the road, narrowly missing another car as a woman banged on the passenger window.
Driving against the flow of traffic and on the wrong side of the road, Akhtar mounted the pavement and slammed into the passer-by who had intervened – before reversing back and crashing into a lamppost.
The pedestrian then tried to pull Akhtar out of the car through an open door – but she drove off with it still open. She was arrested soon after the incident on November 7, 2024.
On the way to custody, she told officers: “There are a few girls … hitting and swearing at me and wanted to start fighting. I won’t lie, I panicked and I’ve driven on the footpath.”
The court also heard that three months later, on February 19, 2025, Akhtar was stopped by cops while driving an Audi A3.
A passenger was found with cannabis and drug residue was discovered in the car. Officers carried out a roadside drugs swipe on Akhtar, which came back positive and she was arrested.
Akhtar has six previous convictions for nine offences, including battery. She admitted assault, dangerous driving, affray, possession of an offensive weapon, and drug-driving.
Mitigating, Verity Barnes said Akhtar had been homeless at the time of the first incident and was living in her car as a result of suffering threats due to her sexuality being exposed.
She said she was “constantly in a state of fear” and was “ultimately very sorry” for her actions. Judge Kate Rayfield said: “I accept that you need help for the position you find yourself in, which is a constant state of fight or flight.
“I struggle a little bit with what you did to [the traffic warden]. That was not fight or flight, that was just anger … directed at someone just doing their job. That was just spoilt behaviour on your part.”
Akhtar was handed an 18-month prison sentence suspended for 18 months, ordered to complete 100 hours of unpaid work and attend 40 rehabilitation activity requirement days.
She was also banned from driving for 12 months and must take an extended re-test before she can get back behind the wheel.
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