LEEDS, UNITED KINGDOM | October 27, 2026 : A devastating road collision that claimed the lives of a young mother and her four-year-old daughter has ended in lengthy prison sentences for two men whose dangerous driving turned a public road into a deadly race track.
Hardeep Bhachu, 29, and Jasskamal Riyat, 37, have been sentenced to a combined 28 years in prison for their roles in the deaths of 27-year-old Justyna Hulboj and her daughter, Lena Czepczor, in Leeds, northern England.
The tragedy occurred in January 2023, when the mother and child were walking to school. Their lives were cut short after a high-speed driving incident involving two powerful cars.
The case is a heartbreaking reminder that reckless driving is not merely a traffic offence—it can destroy entire families in a matter of seconds.
⚖️ Two Men, Two Sentences, One Devastating Outcome
- Hardeep Bhachu, 29: Pleaded guilty to causing the deaths of Justyna and Lena by dangerous driving. He was sentenced to 12 years in prison at Leeds Crown Court.
- Jasskamal Riyat, 37: Found guilty of two counts of causing death by dangerous driving after a trial. He received a 16-year prison sentence.
Both men were also disqualified from driving for six years and must take an extended driving test before they can return to the road at the end of the ban.
Riyat was convicted in August following a trial, while Bhachu had admitted his role in the fatal incident earlier in the legal process.
🚘 How a Dangerous Driving Contest Turned Deadly
The fatal collision happened on Scott Hall Road in Leeds in January 2023.
According to the prosecution evidence described in the report, Bhachu was driving an Audi while Riyat was behind the wheel of a black BMW 135i. CCTV and dashcam footage helped investigators establish that the two men had been racing at high speed shortly before the crash.
Bhachu reportedly lost control of his vehicle, struck Justyna and Lena, and then crashed into a wall at the Vertu Jaguar Leeds car dealership.
Both mother and daughter died at the scene.
They had simply been walking to school—a routine journey that should never have ended in tragedy.
📹 Dashcam and CCTV Footage Exposed the Racing
Investigators from West Yorkshire Police used CCTV and dashcam footage, including recordings supplied by members of the public, to establish the circumstances surrounding the collision.
Bhachu’s own dashcam reportedly captured a conversation between the two men while they were stopped at traffic lights. During the exchange, Bhachu boasted that his Audi had 560 horsepower and that he had only been using a quarter of the throttle.
The evidence helped police identify Riyat as the driver of the BMW involved in the racing.
According to Detective Inspector Paul Conroy of West Yorkshire Police’s Major Collision Enquiry Team, the men did not know each other. They were two drivers showing off their powerful cars on a busy dual carriageway.
Riyat also witnessed the collision but left the scene rather than stopping to check on those involved, police said. He denied involvement but was ultimately convicted after investigators presented extensive footage of his vehicle in the moments leading up to the crash.
👨⚖️ Judge’s Powerful Warning: “A Road Is Not a Race Track”
Sentencing the men at Leeds Crown Court, Judge Ray Singh delivered a clear warning about the consequences of dangerous driving.
“A road is not a race track. A powerful car is not an invitation to test its limits on a public road,” the judge said.
He added that the consequences of competitive driving at extreme speed could be—and in this case were—irreversible.
The message goes beyond the two defendants: horsepower, acceleration and the desire to impress others cannot justify putting innocent lives at risk.
💔 A Family Left With an Irreplaceable Loss
For Justyna’s fiancé and Lena’s father, the collision shattered the life they had planned together.
In a deeply emotional statement, he described the moment everything changed.
“My whole world collapsed in one second,” he said.
He spoke of the enormous emptiness he experiences every day and the dreams the family will never be able to fulfil.
“We had so many plans and dreams and in one moment it all ended… This nightmare will last for the rest of my life,” he said.
His words capture the enduring consequences of a fatal road collision: the victims lose their futures, while the people who love them must live with the loss.
🚔 Police: No Sentence Can Bring Them Back
Detective Inspector Paul Conroy said the deaths had devastated the family and acknowledged that no punishment could adequately compensate for the lives lost.
He also described the sentencing as the conclusion of a long criminal justice process for Justyna and Lena’s loved ones.
More than two years had passed since Bhachu admitted his part in the incident, and the wait for the proceedings to conclude had taken its toll on the family, he said.
The case highlights the importance of thorough investigations, public-supplied footage and the accountability of drivers who endanger others on public roads.
🛑 A Serious Reminder for Every Driver
This tragedy carries a message for motorists everywhere:
- Public roads are not racing circuits. Speed contests belong only in properly controlled and authorised environments.
- Powerful vehicles demand greater responsibility. Engine power does not make a driver immune to losing control.
- Reckless driving endangers innocent people. Pedestrians, families and children should never have to pay the price for someone else’s thrill-seeking.
- Never leave a crash scene without fulfilling your legal responsibilities. Stopping to seek help can be critical when lives may be at risk.
A moment of showing off can have consequences that last forever.
Justyna Hulboj and little Lena Czepczor were walking to school. They deserved to return home safely.
No race, no car, and no display of speed is worth a human life.
May their family find strength in the face of an unimaginable loss, and may this case remind every driver that responsibility begins the moment they turn the key.
Source: Report dated October 27, 2026, citing Leeds Crown Court and West Yorkshire Police. Sentencing details and investigative findings are presented as reported.
