Twenty five year old Zoltan Lakatos was sentenced at Bolton Crown Court to 14 years in prison after pleading guilty to causing death by dangerous driving, driving without third party insurance and failing to stop following a road traffic collision and failing to report a road traffic collision.
Lakatos was the driver of a Mercedes E320 being driven in excess of the posted 30mph speed limit when it collided with a Volkswagen Touran that was turning right from Wordsworth Road onto Halliwell Road.
60-year-old Aqeel Akhtar died of his injuries three weeks later in hospital
Lakatos failed to stop at the scene of the collision, with the two passengers in the Mercedes also sustaining serious but not life threating injuries.
He was arrested on Friday 24 February 2023 in London and was then subsequently charged and remanded into custody.
Lakatos was also disqualified from driving for 14 years and 5 months and will have to take an extended retest.
PC John Loxham said: “Firstly, my thoughts are with the family of Aqeel at this sad time. They have gone through a great loss over these past few months, and hopefully this sentence starts to bring some form of closure.
“Lakatos’ actions on that evening were dangerous and reckless, he showed absolutely no regard for the law or other road users – travelling at speeds almost three times the 30mph limit in that area.
“Speeding makes up one of the ‘Fatal 4’ alongside drink and drug driving, seatbelt misuse and the use of mobile devices behind the wheel, which are main areas of concern in Greater Manchester.”
