Soccer star 'fled after death crash'

West Brom striker Lee Hughes fled the scene of a fatal accident after crashing his £100,000 (€151,813) sports car into another vehicle as he returned home from a night out at two pubs, a jury heard today.

The 28-year-old allegedly lost control of the powerful Mercedes coupe on a bend near his home in Meriden, West Midlands.

Opening the case for the prosecution at Coventry Crown Court, Melbourne Inman QC said Hughes, who denies causing death by dangerous driving, was travelling “very fast” on the wrong side of the road just before ploughing into a Renault Scenic in Pickford Grange Lane.

A rear seat passenger in the Renault, 56-year-old Douglas Graham, of Eastern Green, Coventry, died almost immediately when the car was catapulted across the road and into a lamppost by the force of the crash.

The driver of the Scenic suffered multiple injuries and Mr Graham’s wife, Maureen, and another passenger were also hurt.

Mr Inman told the jury of nine men and three women that Hughes was driving home after visiting two pubs in the local area, the Queens Head and Poachers Retreat, on the evening of November 22 last year.

He was accompanied by a friend and three other men whom he had not met before the day of the crash.

The lawyer said: “The prosecution say that the defendant’s car was out of control, being driven too fast, and it smashed right into the front of the car Mr and Mrs Graham were in.

“It was a very big impact. The collision was such that Mr Graham died almost instantly.”

According to her witness statement, Mrs Graham described hearing “a loud bang... and the next thing she knew she remembered was panicking and trying to get out.”

Mr Inman added: “The prosecution say it is clear that the Mercedes was obviously travelling very fast and the prosecution say it obviously was travelling too fast because it could not hold the bend.”

The court was told that the defendant and his long-standing friend, who were in the front of the Mercedes, then fled the scene.

“The defendant then hid for a day and a half until the following Monday - more than 36 hours later,” Mr Inman added.

The prosecutor claimed that the Renault was being driven perfectly properly.

Hughes’ car, a CL55, was one of the most powerful production vehicles manufactured by Mercedes Benz, the jury heard.

It had been upgraded to give it 500bhp – a typical family saloon having around 120bhp – as well as paddle-style gears on either side of the steering wheel and “very powerful brakes”.

Mr Inman said: “In short, the car was highly sophisticated and extremely powerful, and driving such a machine obviously requires some degree of care.”

Dressed in a dark suit, Hughes sat in the dock at the back of the court, frequently leaning forward to study documentary evidence given to jurors.

The striker has scored more than 100 goals since making his league debut for Kidderminster in the 1995 season.

He has also played for Coventry and is currently enjoying his second spell with the Baggies, who won promotion to the Premiership last season.