Personal trainer who caused A1 police crash 'drove to work two days later' despite having no license
19 April 2025, 16:47
A man who caused a police pursuit along the A1 that resulted in a crash, injuring seven officers, 'drove to work two days later' despite having no license.
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Personal trainer Mazyar Azarbonyad, 20, appeared at Newcastle Magistrates’ Court on Saturday and admitted a series of driving offences, including driving without insurance and a licence several times after the horrific crash.
The court heard how the PT was driving the vehicle illegally at the time of the incident, with police taking chase as Azarbonyad dropped a woman home after a first date.
The Iran-born defendant, from Sylvia Terrace, Stanley, County Durham, was granted police bail after he was questioned about the early morning incident on the A1 – during which he told officers his driving had been “shit”.
But just two days later, he was back behind the wheel, driving a red Hyundai on April 11, 12, 13 and 15 to get to work at a gym in Newcastle - despite being warned not to drive and having no licence or insurance.
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Police saw him on a garage forecourt filling his vehicle up with fuel and arrested Azarbonyad before he told them about other times he had driven since the crash.
The crash, which closed the A1 motorway for an extended period of time on April 9, left five police cars wrecked on the carriageway and seven officers injured.
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.
Azarbonyad was driving the powerful BMW which police initially tried to stop because a rear light was defective, but he sped away.
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."
