Family’s heartbreak as grandma killed in M25 horror minibus crash as lorry driver jailed

A family who were “ripped apart” by a deadly M25 crash went about their daily lives while their sister lay dead and unidentified for nearly 24 hours. Families of the victims of lorry driver Ethan Burdett’s crash into a minibus full of people shared the “pain and anguish” they’ve endured in the three years since the crash near Waltham Abbey.

The 67-year-old of Ipswich Haven Marina, Ipswich, pleaded guilty to causing the death of four people due to careless driving in April this year following the crash on August 23, 2021. The crash took place on the M25 near Waltham Abbey at around 6.15pm between junction 26 and 27.

As Burdett approached the exit slip road to junction 26, he failed to react to stationary traffic queuing in lane one and collided with the rear of the minibus which shunted forward and struck a car. Of the 11 passengers in the minibus – who were returning to London following a day trip to Southend – four passengers were seriously injured; three additional passengers and the driver of the car all sustained minor injuries.