A driver accused of killing one of his passengers in a three-vehicle crash says he "panicked" after the collision and fled from the car.

Usher Donson, 26, was behind the wheel of a silver BMW involved in a crash on Bury New Road, Whitefield, which killed 31-year-old Aaron Jarvis, who was sitting in a rear passenger seat of the car.

The crash happened in the early hours of November 4, 2021 and involved three vehicles, including Donson's car.

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The second day of a trial at Bolton Crown Court yesterday, Wednesday, heard that Mr Jarvis suffered "catastrophic" head injuries following the crash.

The court was told Mr Jarvis had "no observable pulse" and was taken to Royal Salford Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Following the crash, Donson and another passenger fled the BMW and travelled from Whitefield to Whalley Range by taxi to an address at which Donson’s girlfriend lived.

The court heard Donson had instructed his girlfriend to delete text messages sent to her from the morning of the crash. 

Donson and his passengers had been travelling to Radcliffe after meeting at Bloom nightclub in Manchester.

Giving evidence, Donson told the court that he "panicked" in the aftermath of the crash but denied that he had been driving dangerously.

Paul Treble, defending, asked Donson, who is accused of causing death by dangerous driving, what he recalled after the crash.

Donson said: “Just panicking, I hurt my head, I hurt the side of my eye.”

Recalling what he felt after the crash, Donson added: “I was hurt, shocked and traumatised.”

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Mr Treble asked Donson if he had noticed the three passengers in the car who had been injured.

“I tried to touch them,” Donson replied.

“To shake them and ask ‘are you alright?.’

“I was scared and my face was bleeding, I was in pain.”

Explaining how he felt about fleeing the vehicle following the crash, Donson told the court: “I shouldn’t have done that, it made things worse.”

Henry Blackshaw, prosecuting, questioned Donson about why he did not call emergency services to request help for his injured passengers.

“They were already getting help,” he replied.

The trial continues.