Uber driver fatally ran over passenger in 'panic'

An Uber driver was "panicking and frightened" when he fatally ran over a passenger who vomited in his car, a murder trial heard.

Hayadulla Turkmani, 53, said he mistakenly struck 28-year-old Michael Ashton while trying to "escape" him after a heated exchange in September 2025.

The council worker hit his head on the floor following the collision, outside his house in Langdon Hills, Essex, and died from his injuries eight days later.

Turkmani, of Langdale Gardens in Hornchurch, east London, denied murder at a trial at Basildon Crown Court.

He told jurors that Ashton reacted angrily to being given the ultimatum of cleaning up his vomit or being charged by Uber.

Turkmani said they exchanged swear words before Ashton, who had exited the Toyota Prius, charged towards his car in Rosecroft Close.

"He was running towards me, and I was frightened. I reversed quickly so that I could escape", said the defendant, who was born in Afghanistan and spoke via an interpreter.

Turkmani said he was "panicking and frightened" and did not see Ashton as he pulled away, but felt something underneath his car moments later and so got out.

"When you saw someone was under your car, how did you react?" asked his barrister, Tom Wainwright.

Turkmani replied: "I was frozen. I was frightened, and I couldn't really move."

He picked Ashton and his partner up from Frankie's Wine Bar in Hornchurch at about 23:30 BST that night, and said Ashton was sick as they drove through Upminster and then again on the A127.

Turkmani, who had driven for Uber since 2015, said people being sick in his car was "normal" and he was not angry about it.

He dropped the couple off at their home shortly before midnight.

In CCTV footage played to the jury, Ashton could be heard shouting "whoa, whoa, whoa" moments later.

His neighbour has already told the trial he saw the Uber driver "accelerate at an incredible speed" towards Ashton, hitting him, reversing and then driving forwards again.

The impact of the collision snapped Ashton's leg and caused him to suffer a brain injury as his head struck the floor, prosecutor Andrew Jackson KC said.

"You did it in a fit of sheer anger, didn't you?" he put to Turkmani, who was arrested at the scene.

Ashton worked for the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham Council and died eight days later from his injuries.

The trial continues.

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