Friends jailed over double fatal A52 race crash

Two men have been jailed over a car crash which killed their two friends.

The four men were in two cars racing each other at "frightening" speeds on the A52 near Nottingham, a court heard.

One of the cars, a Honda, smashed through a central reservation and into the path of an oncoming lorry, killing Gurdip Singh Kareer, 41, and driver Kyle O'Connor, 22, instantly.

Latham Wilbraham and Kyle Bennett, in the other car, were both given six year jail terms at Nottingham Crown Court.

Updates on this and other stories from the East Midlands

Provisional licence holder Wilbraham, 23, of Newstead Way, Strelley, Nottingham pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to causing death by dangerous driving and failing to stop.

Bennett, 25, of West Terrace, Hucknall, Nottingham, pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting causing death by dangerous driving.

The crash happened in the early evening of 25 November last year at Bramcote.

Witnesses said they saw the cars driving through red lights and at speeds of up to 100mph in a 40mph zone, described the driving as "truly shocking" and "frighteningly fast".

Judge Stuart Rafferty described the driving as "absolutely appalling" and "a disaster waiting to happen".

Families of the defendants and victims sobbed in court as the sentence was passed.

The family of Mr Kareer, 41, from Wollaton, was a "loving, caring family man", while Mr O'Connor, 22, of Wollaton Vale, Nottingham, "loved everything".