
Dean Dunham 9pm - 10pm
19 April 2025, 11:40 | Updated: 19 April 2025, 11:50
A 20-year-old man who was taking a woman out for a first date has admitted dangerous driving after seven officers were injured in a crash involving five police vehicles and a car.
Personal trainer Mazyar Azarbonyad, 20, appeared at Newcastle Magistrates’ Court to admit a series of driving offences, including driving without insurance and a licence several times after the horrific crash.
The Iran-born defendant, who came to the UK in around 2020, was behind the wheel of a powerful BMW which was being pursued by police along the A1 near the Gateshead and Newcastle border at around 2.30am on April 9 when the collision occurred.
Magistrates were told that a woman in the car with Azarbonyad at the time was on her first date with him and he was taking her home.
He admitted to dangerous driving and failing to stop on that night.
Having been granted bail pending a court appearance, he admitted continuing to drive on four further occasions, by driving a Hyundai i10 to work at a gym in Newcastle city centre, despite bail conditions telling him not to drive.
The crash happened near the Derwent Haugh Road junction, on the borders of Gateshead and Newcastle, at 2.27am on April 9.
The Northumbria force said seven officers were taken to hospital with what it described as non-life threatening injuries. They have all since been discharged.
At the time, a Northumbria Police spokesman said: “Shortly before 2.30am today (Wednesday) we received a report of a multi-vehicle collision on the A1 northbound near the Derwenthaugh Road junction, Gateshead.
“Emergency services are currently in attendance.
“A section of the road is closed in both directions – there are diversions in place from the Derwenthaugh Road junction northbound, and the A69 roundabout southbound.
“Motorists should use alternative routes where possible.”
A North East Ambulance Service spokesperson added: “We received a call at 2.29am on Wednesday April 9 to reports of a road traffic collision on the A1 northbound near Denton, Newcastle.
"We dispatched five ambulance crews, a specialist paramedic, a duty officer, two crews from our Hazardous Area Response Team (HART) and requested support from our colleagues at the Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS) who attended by road.
"Five patients were transported to hospital for further treatment."