A TEENAGER has avoided jail after admitting to careless driving which led to the death of two men on the M65.

Callum Mossop, 19, was given 300 hours’ community service after pleading guilty to two counts of causing death by careless driving. The maximum sentence for the offence is five years imprisonment.

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Mossop was behind the wheel of a Citroen C2 when it hit the rear of a Peugeot carrying two long-time friends, Mazafer Iqbal and Mohammed Iqbal.

The impact sent the Peugeot spinning up an embankment, where it flipped onto its roof and eventually came to rest back on the motorway.

It was at that point the Peugeot was hit by a second vehicle, a Renault Clio, resulting in the two victims being thrown out of their car onto the hard shoulder.

Both men were pronounced dead at the scene.

The driver of the Clio was not prosecuted because he was unable to see the stranded Peugeot due to a lack of lighting, the court heard.

There have been other incidents on the M65 caused by the lack of lighting, the most notable of which was the death of Mark Burgess, whose fatal crash into a barrier led to three other vehicles and an ambulance becoming involved in accidents.

It also prompted the Lancashire Telegraph’s Turn The Lights On campaign, calling for street lighting on the M65 to be restored.

Burnley Crown Court heard extracts of victim impact statements read out by Judge Jonathan Gibson where the two victims’ daughters described their fathers as loving, religious and kind men.

Mazafer Iqbal’s daughter said: “The loss of my father had left a hole in our hearts. Every day has been difficult for all of the family.”

Mohammed Iqbal’s daughter said: “To this day when I go and visit him at the graveyard it doesn’t feel like it’s him. I still expect him to be standing next to me.”

Father-of-four Mazafer Iqbal, 47, ran a branch of Chunky Chicken in Skelmersdale and his brother Nasir runs a similar operation off Leeds Road, Nelson.

Mohammed Iqbal, a 48-year-old father-of-two, worked at Sleep Sound Beds in Accrington and was a Liverpool FC fan. He was known to help out at the takeaway in Skelmersdale from time to time.

Mossop, of Alderhurst End Farm, Trawden, was driving eastbound on an unlit section of the M65 between junctions nine and 10 at around 2am on July 26, last year, when the collision occurred.

He was travelling at 70mph when he hit the rear of the Peugeot which was travelling between 50 and 55mph. Both vehicles had their lights on.

When breathalysed at the scene Mossop, an apprentice farrier, had no alcohol in his system and there were no traces of drugs. Tests on Mossop’s phone showed he had not been making any calls or sending any text messages, but an examination of data usage - running anything that requires internet access - proved inconclusive.

Prosecuting, Peter Barr said crime scene investigations showed that there were no mechanical defects on any of the vehicles that could have contributed to the collision.

Mr Barr said that when interviewed at the scene Mossop said: “I was driving along the eastbound carriageway of the M65 when I saw a flashing light ahead. I saw it was not moving. I suddenly came upon it. I hit a vehicle spun around and then came to a stop.”

During interview at Burnley Police Station on January 18, this year, Mossop was asked about what he had seen and what his recollections of the collision were.

Mossop said there were no obstructions to his view and he couldn’t explain why he hadn’t seen the Peugeot.

Defending, Matthew Gent said: “The reality here is the defendant can’t explain what happened during the early hours of that morning. He failed to see the Peugeot and react in time. He didn’t feel tired, he wasn’t under the influence of drink or drugs. He wasn’t speeding and he was appropriately insured. He took no deliberate risk.”

Mossop, who has no previous convictions and has a clean license, was banned from driving for two years and must also pay a £40 victim surcharge.

Judge Gibson added: “Your careless driving caused two men to lose their lives.

“You are at a loss to explain how and why you failed to see the other car.

“I have read the personal statements from family members and no-one could be failed to be moved by what they have said.”

Speaking after the case, Sgt John Jennings-Wharton said: “At the heart of this tragic incident were two men who though unrelated, were like brothers, as well as their families who are extremely close. They have suffered the sad loss of two loved ones and life with never be the same for them.

“This sad case goes to show how a lapse in concentration behind the wheel can have awful consequences for all involved.”