British-Bangladeshi Mum Yasmin: Hunt for the M11 Phantom SUV Driver

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The investigation into the death of beloved teaching assistant Yasmin Begum, 38, has been fundamentally transformed, the Daily Dazzling Dawn can exclusively reveal.

Her husband—also 38 and a former schoolmate of Yasmin's. Essex Police have launched a targeted manhunt for the driver of a dark-coloured SUV. Detectives are now treating the fatal M11 collision as a potential case of causing death by dangerous driving.

This seismic shift follows harrowing testimony from survivor Anika Rahman and definitive digital evidence extracted from the wreckage of the victims' car.

Survivor’s Account Pivots Investigation

The critical breakthrough emerged from the Royal London Hospital, where Ms. Rahman, the surviving passenger, provided a detailed statement to detectives from the Serious Collision Investigation Unit.

She described a "larger, dark vehicle" driving erratically and forcing its way into their lane on the M11 southbound near Harlow in the moments before the crash just before 1 am on February 4. Her account, confirmed as credible by senior investigators, indicates the red Audi A3 was compelled into a catastrophic evasive manoeuvre.

“Based on this new witness evidence, our investigation has significantly pivoted,” a senior police source told this newspaper. “We are now actively seeking the driver of a second vehicle who failed to stop at the scene.”

Vehicle Data Corroborates ‘Evasive Action’

Forensic investigators have obtained and analysed the Audi’s Event Data Recorder – the vehicle’s ‘black box.’ The data, seen by the Daily Dazzling Dawn, provides chilling corroboration.

It records a series of sudden, extreme steering inputs and heavy braking in the seconds before the car left the carriageway, a digital signature consistent with a driver reacting to an immediate external hazard on the road. This electronic evidence has allowed police to confidently discount weather or simple driver error as the primary cause.

Focused Hunt for ‘Phantom’ SUV

Police are now concentrating resources on tracing a dark-coloured SUV, believed to be a Range Rover, BMW X5, or similar model. A specific line of enquiry involves securing and reviewing all CCTV footage from Birchanger Green Services, situated just south of the crash site.

Investigators believe the suspect vehicle may have entered or passed through the services area between 00:45 and 01:15 on the night of the collision. Officers are trawling Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) data from the M11 corridor and appealing directly to the public.

“We need to speak to the driver of that SUV,” stated Detective Inspector Sarah Chen, who is leading the enquiry. “We also urgently appeal to any motorist who was on that stretch of the M11 around that time, especially those with dashcam footage, to contact us immediately. You may hold vital evidence without realising it.”

A Family’s Grief Turns to a Quest for Answers

The reclassification of the case from a tragic accident to a potential criminal investigation has profoundly affected Yasmin Begum’s family. Having laid her to rest only yesterday, they now face the agonising pursuit of justice.

In a statement provided through a family liaison officer, they said: “We are devastated but resolved. If someone else’s actions caused this, they must come forward. We beg anyone with information to help the police. Yasmin deserves the truth.”

The male driver of the Audi remains in a serious but stable condition in hospital and has not yet been able to provide a statement.

How You Can Help

Essex Police have re-issued the incident reference: Incident 36 of 4 February. Anyone with information, dashcam, or CCTV footage is urged to contact the dedicated incident room via the Essex Police website or by calling 101. Information can also be given anonymously to Crimestoppers.

The Daily Dazzling Dawn’s Investigation Team continues to follow this developing story.