M6 crash that killed woman was caused by man who had been …
A professional driver had been driving his van for more than 22 hours before he killed a woman in a crash on the M6[1] in Cheshire.
Marcin Szewczyk, of Lancashire Hill, Stockport, was at Chester Crown Court[2] for sentencing on Tuesday (April 18) after pleading guilty to causing the death of Suzanne Taylor by dangerous driving in the collision on October 30, 2021.
The court heard that the 43-year-old, who was employed as a professional driver, was driving the Mercedes Sprinter van that caused the crash between junctions 17 and 18 at about 12.31am.
The vehicle smashed into the back of a Kia Sportage, which had been stopped in heavy traffic displaying hazards for over a minute. The force of the impact pushed the Kia into a HGV.
Suzanne, a passenger in the back of the Kia, died at the scene of the incident. Her daughter, who was the front seat passenger, was taken to hospital with serious injuries. She underwent surgery and was discharged two months later.
Marcin Szewczyk, 43, has been jailed after causing a crash on the M6 in Cheshire that killed Suzanne Taylor (Image: Cheshire Police)
Szewczyk was arrested and was taken into custody where toxicology results showed he had traces of amphetamine in his system.
GPS data obtained from his employer showed that he had left a warehouse in his van and continued to drive for a total of 22 hours and 31 minutes – travelling 450 miles. Witnesses also saw the van weaving all over the road in the lead up to the crash.
It was also discovered that he did not have a valid driving licence. The Polish licence he had was found to have been listed as ‘confiscated and invalid’.
Szewczyk was charged with causing death by dangerous driving and causing serious injury by dangerous driving. He later pleaded guilty to both counts.
During the court hearing in Chester[4] on Tuesday, he was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison and banned from driving for five years, which will begin upon his release.
Following the sentencing, Suzanne’s family said: “As a family we are pleased with the custodial sentence of seven and a half years, though no sentence can bring mum back.
“We as a family want to move forward with our lives and keeping mum in our thoughts at all times.
“We would like to thank Cheshire Police for their hard work and patience showed throughout this process, especially our Family Liaison Officer and the investigation team.”
Investigating Officer PC Faye Clarke said: “Szewczyk’s actions and decision to continue to drive throughout the 22 hour period prior to the collision has devastated Suzanne’s family.He did not hold a valid driving licence and enquiries found that his Polish driving licence was listed as confiscated and invalid.
“Whilst employed as a professional driver Szewczyk deliberately chose to ignore the law and continued to drive whilst knowingly fatigued and under the influence of a controlled drug which put lives at risk. He had ample opportunity to pull in or leave the motorway network but continued to drive.
“I would like to thank all those who assisted at the scene and those who have supported police to allow us to build a case to put Szewczyk before the court and take him off the roads.
“Our thoughts remain with Suzanne’s family who have been left devastated following this tragic collision, they have shown such dignity and courage throughout proceedings.”
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References
- ^ the M6 (www.cheshire-live.co.uk)
- ^ Chester Crown Court (www.cheshire-live.co.uk)
- ^ Dad giving his son a lift didn’t realise he was transporting drugs until police stopped him (www.cheshire-live.co.uk)
- ^ Chester (www.cheshire-live.co.uk)
- ^ Sign up for CheshireLive emails direct to your inbox here (data.reachplc.com)