A MAN whose DNA was found at the centre of an airbag denies he was behind the wheel of the car which ploughed into another vehicle, seriously injuring its driver.

Robert Scott suffered multiple fractures and had to undergo surgery after an Astra, speeding and on the wrong side of the road, hit his Peugeot 306 on Bridgeman Street head on just before 8am on February 1, 2014.

Ibraahim Ibraahim ran from the scene and later claimed he had only been a passenger in the Astra.

But in a trial at Bolton Crown Court Simon Barrett, prosecuting, told a jury that forensic investigators had found saliva on the Astra driver’s side airbag which matched Ibraahim’s DNA.

“The DNA on the airbag is consistent with him being the driver, his face hitting the airbag on impact,” said Mr Barrett, who added that experts also state it is possible that saliva could come from someone other than the driver.

The court heard how Mr Scott was on his way to work at the Peugeot dealership in Bolton in his red Peugeot when grey Astra, allegedly driven by Ibrahim at up to 70mph hit him with such force that its rear wheels left the ground and it spun round.

Blood belonging to Ahmed Nur, who had a cut head and remained at the scene, was found around the passenger side of the car.

Mr Barrett said none of the witnesses nearby saw people getting out of the Astra but heard a loud bang as the vehicles collided.

One of them, Munaf Patel, who runs the Butty van parked nearby said: “It was like a big, massive bomb going off – very scary.

“I ran over to see if there was anything I could do to help. The people in the Astra got out of the car and started shouting and arguing among themselves, pushing and shoving each other.”

Mr Patel tried to help Mr Scott, who can remember nothing of the collision. He had blood coming from his mouth and was trapped inside the Peugeot.

“He was saying ‘please help’ and I told him ‘hold on, the police are on their way,’” said Mr Patel.

“I noticed the lads who had got out of the Astra were drinking out of a bottle.”

Giving evidence in his own defence Ibraahim, now aged 34, of Longport Avenue, Manchester, told the court how he, Mr Nur and two others were on their way back to Bolton after a night out in Liverpool.

At the time the construction worker was living in Crescent Road, Bolton, and he told the jury that, after the collision he reached over to “rouse” the Astra driver before climbing out of the vehicle.

He claimed that he tried to assist the trapped Peugeot driver but could not open the door and then ran off with other occupants of the Astra. “I was panicking and didn’t know what to do. I was shocked as well,” he said.

When asked by Judge Timothy Stead who the driver of the of the hired Astra had been, Ibraahim replied: “I don’t want to mention his name, to be honest.”

Ibraahim denies causing serious injury by dangerous driving.

The trial continues.