HGV driver involved in fatal M1 collision jailed for more than 4 years

A lorry driver has been sentenced to more than four years in prison after his HGV struck a people carrier on the M1 near Bedfordshire, Milton Keynes and Hemel Hempstead, resulting in the death of one of the passengers. Wojciech Bukowski, 65, from Poland, pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to one count of causing death by dangerous driving and four counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving. He was sentenced today (Wednesday) to four years and eight months behind bars.

Wojciech Bukowski was sentenced to four years and eight months behind bars

At approximately 3.15pm on Sunday, December 1, Bukowski’s heavy goods vehicle struck a blue Kia Sedona people carrier on the southbound carriageway of the M1 at junction 11a in Bedfordshire. The driver of the Kia had pulled over to the inside lane as the vehicle was experiencing mechanical difficulties. Emergency services attended and Zahid Ahmed, 19, from North London, who was sat in the nearside rear passenger seat, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Four of the other passengers were left with serious injuries and the driver suffered minor injuries. Bukowski was unhurt in the collision. Bukowski was also handed four 18-month sentences for each count of causing serious injury by dangerous driving, which will each run concurrently alongside his longer sentence.

His Honour Judge Bishop said: “No sentence I can pass can turn the clock back, nor any amount of a sentence bring back what has been lost.” Detective Constable Ben Amondsen, from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Road Policing Unit, said: “This was an extremely sad incident that could have been avoided, had Bukowski been paying attention to the road. “I can’t stress enough the importance of paying due care and attention when driving, especially on motorways where it is all too easy to get distracted.

“You are in charge of a large and enormously powerful machine, so not being aware of what is happening around you can lead to potentially tragic consequences.

“Unfortunately, careless driving is one of the biggest causes of deaths on our roads and I hope that today’s sentencing can help Mr Ahmed’s family get the closure they need, as well as the other victims and families of those who have been involved in this terrible tragedy.”