Man, 20, on wrong side of road and speeding at time of fatal crash on A2 near Dover ferry terminal
A speeding driver who was on the wrong side of the road when he collided with a taxi, killing the rear-seat passenger, was said to have simply made a "terrible mistake" while following directions on a sat-nav app. Shiam Sugarnan was at the wheel of his father's Range Rover and heading along the southbound carriageway of the A2 towards the Dover ferry terminal when he struck a Seat minicab in the early hours of September 2, 2022.
Canterbury Crown Court heard the then 20-year-old and his dad were planning to catch a ferry in order to attend a charity event in Italy when the "almost head-on" smash occurred, fatally injuring Deal resident Martin Waters. Dashcam footage from both vehicles captured the horrific moment the two vehicles collided on Jubilee Way, just after 1am.
It also showed the build-up, during which the prosecution allege Sugarnan's driving was dangerous in that it fell "far below" the standard expected of a careful and competent motorist. Having crossed a double white line onto the northbound side of the carriageway, he was also driving up to 55mph on a road with a 30mph limit, the court heard. He then ignored a 'Keep left' sign and ended up travelling with the central barrier on his nearside.
Meanwhile, the taxi was heading in the opposite direction, in the correct lane and below the 70mph speed limit for northbound traffic.
They were, as prosecutor Laurence Imrie described at the start of Sugarnan's trial on Monday, "on a collision course" neither driver was able to avoid. Explaining how the Range Rover ended up on the wrong side of the road for as long as 1.33km, Mr Imrie told the jury: "It was just after 1am that Mr Sugarnan was driving southbound along the A2 close to the ferry terminal. "He passed by a parked vehicle which was partially blocking the southbound lane.
It had its hazard lights on. "To get past, he manoeuvred into the northbound lane and crossed the double white line. However, once he had passed the obstacle, he failed to manoeuvre back to the southbound lane.
A speeding driver who was on the wrong side of the road when he collided with a taxi, killing the rear-seat passenger, was said to have simply made a "terrible mistake" while following directions on a sat-nav app.
Shiam Sugarnan was at the wheel of his father's Range Rover and heading along the southbound carriageway of the A2 towards the Dover ferry terminal when he struck a Seat minicab in the early hours of September 2, 2022. "In short, he was driving on the wrong side of the road. He drove along the northbound lane for a considerable distance - 0.83 miles or 1.33km to be precise.
"He also drove past a 'Keep left' sign which made it clear he needed to be on the left-hand side of the road.
"He then travelled past the central barrier on the wrong side. On the southbound side there was a speed limit of 30mph. He was driving between 53 and 55mph.
"The minicab was being driven in the opposite direction. It was a Seat and Martin Waters was a rear-seat passenger. "The speed limit for those driving northwards was 70mph and the Seat was travelling at 62 to 65mph.
"The Range Rover and Seat were driving on the same piece of road in opposite directions. As they approached one another, both drivers tried to avoid a collision by swerving.
"However, the cars hit each other almost head-on." The court was told that despite the efforts of the emergency services and members of the public, Mr Waters suffered fatal injuries.
The Range Rover and Seat were driving on the same piece of road in opposite directions. As they approached one another, both drivers tried to avoid a collision by swerving... An inquest held later that month heard the 57-year-old train conductor was returning from work in the taxi at the time he died.
After the collision, Sugarnan was arrested and subsequently gave a 'No comment' interview. A speeding driver who was on the wrong side of the road when he collided with a taxi, killing the rear-seat passenger, was said to have simply made a "terrible mistake" while following directions on a sat-nav app.
Shiam Sugarnan was at the wheel of his father's Range Rover and heading along the southbound carriageway of the A2 towards the Dover ferry terminal when he struck a Seat minicab in the early hours of September 2, 2022. The second time he was formally questioned he confirmed he had been behind the wheel of the Range Rover and explained where he had been driving to and from.
But after being shown the dashcam footage and asked specifically by police about why he was on the wrong side of the road, the university graduate again answered 'No comment'. However, Mr Imrie said it was now anticipated that Sugarnan would accept he was on the wrong side of the road - and speeding - while unfamiliar with the roads and using the Waze sat-nav app.
But in refuting any suggestion he "simply made a mistake", the lawyer told the jury: "It is the prosecution case that his driving was dangerous because it did fall far below the standard expected of a careful and competent driver. "While it might well have been reasonable to manoeuvre onto the wrong side of the road to overtake a parked vehicle for a short period of time, it was completely unreasonable to then not return to the correct side of the road.
"The prosecution say it was dangerous to drive for such a distance southbound on the northbound lane - it was dangerous to ignore the 'Keep left' sign and while driving at a speed above the limit. The prosecution accept his dangerous driving was unintentional but that doesn't make it any less dangerous... "The prosecution accept his dangerous driving was unintentional but that doesn't make it any less dangerous."
Sugarnan, of Hagden Lane in Watford, Hertfordshire, denies causing Mr Waters's death by dangerous driving.
At the end of the prosecution's opening speech, defence barrister Howard Godfrey KC told the jury it was "the most horrific" case. But he argued that the fatal collision was the result of an accident that did not amount to a criminal offence. A speeding driver who was on the wrong side of the road when he collided with a taxi, killing the rear-seat passenger, was said to have simply made a "terrible mistake" while following directions on a sat-nav app.
Shiam Sugarnan was at the wheel of his father's Range Rover and heading along the southbound carriageway of the A2 towards the Dover ferry terminal when he struck a Seat minicab in the early hours of September 2, 2022.
Explaining the issue to decide was whether his client's driving not only fell "far" below the standard required but also that it would have been "obvious" to a careful and competent driver it was dangerous, Mr Godfrey told the court that having overtaken the parked Audi, Sugarnan drove according to the "white arrow indicating straight ahead" instruction as displayed by the Waze app. Furthermore, he said there were no clear road markings other than the double white line, the defendant and his father were not "in a rush" to catch their ferry, the road was dark, signage may have been "potentially" impacted by overgrown foliage and there were no other vehicles ahead of him to indicate he needed to pull back in. "He makes the most horrific mistake.
He follows the instruction. He doesn't know the road, he hasn't driven in Kent before and he thinks he is driving on the right side of the road," said Mr Godfrey. "He makes a mistake - there is no doubt about that.
But it's not dangerous driving - it was somebody doing his best to drive properly but making, as it turns out, a terrible and, as it turns out, fatal mistake. "It is perfectly possible to have an accident, sometimes an inevitable accident, through no fault of one's own. "He was in the wrong place for mistaken reasons, not dangerous driving reasons."
Judge Simon James told jurors that the less serious, alternative offence of causing death by careless driving could also be considered during their deliberations.
The trial continues.