A taxi driver who left a 16-year-old boy lying unconscious in the road after a hit-and-run has been warned he could face prison.
Imran Ahmed, of Accrington, tried to conceal evidence of the incident in Blackburn, which left Liam Sears fighting for his life, magistrates heard.
The victim did not remember anything until waking up in hospital a week and a half later.
He still has four metal plates in his jaw and suffered extensive facial scarring.
The court heard that when Ahmed spoke to his boss who said the police were at the taxi office he said: “Tell them nothing.”
Ahmed, 34, of Princess Street, Accrington, pleaded guilty to failing to stop and failing to report the accident on May 6.
Magistrates in Blackburn remanded him on bail for the preparation of a pre-sentence report.
The chairman said the offence was aggravated by the fact that attempts had been made to conceal his involvement and Liam had been left unconscious in the road. She added all sentencing options, including custody, would be considered. Speaking after the hearing the boy’s father, Walter Sears, said he was lucky to still have his son. He said: “Liam is recovering, physically and mentally, he’s a tough kid, but it is going to take him time to get over this.”
A resident who heard the crash at about 9.50pm ran out to find Liam lying face down in a pool of blood. He followed instructions from paramedics as an ambulance was dispatched.
Claire Grant, prosecuting, said Liam was walking with a friend on his way to another friend’s house when he was hit by the taxi driven by Ahmed.
Mrs Grant said: “The next thing Liam remembered was waking up in hospital one and a half weeks later.”
Mrs Grant said another taxi driver was driving along Parkinson Street and saw what he thought was a plastic bag in the road.
“It was only when he put his main beam on he realised it was a person,” said Mrs Grant. “Had it not been for the intervention of the two witnesses the boy would have been left prone and unconscious in the road.”
She said Ahmed had called a colleague to pick him up claiming his taxi had broken down.
When police recovered the vehicle from a car valeting centre the damage to the bonnet and windscreen had been covered with a carpet.
“There appears to have been quite some effort to avoid detection,” said Mrs Grant.
John Rusius, defending, said Ahmed was deeply remorseful about what had happened. He said Liam had run out between parked cars and there was nothing he could have done to avoid a collision. “It was dark and he saw nothing before the impact,” said Mr Rusius.
He said Ahmed saw a group of people nearby. “He was aware some of his colleagues had been attacked in the Mill Hill area in the past and it also struck him that the people would be able to look after the injured party.”
