A student accused of causing the death of a friend from Norwich by careless driving has claimed the crash with a lorry was caused by an animal running into the road, a court has heard.

Nissan Nazarudeen was driving a Toyota Corolla Verso on the westbound carriageway of the A14 at Creeting St Mary in Suffolk on April 2, 2021 at about 4.50am when the front passenger side of his car struck the rear off-side of a lorry travelling in the same direction.

The impact of the collision caused the Toyota to spin and roll over before ending up against the central reservation, said Peter Clark, prosecuting, at Ipswich Crown Court.

The car was badly damaged and Nazarudeen’s front seat passenger Amal Prasad Sandhya, a student living in Norwich, who wasn’t wearing a seatbelt, was ejected from the car and died at the scene after suffering “catastrophic” head injuries.

Mr Clark said that after the collision 27-year-old Nazarudeen said it was caused by an animal running into the road.

READ MORE: Body of teenager found in woodland in Norwich outskirts

Nazarudeen, of The Grange Road, Thetford, has denied causing the death of 25-year-old Mr Sandhya, who was born in India, by driving without due care and attention.

He hasn’t attended court for his trial, and it is being heard in his absence.

The trial continues.