Traffic Queue Crash Lorry Driver Jailed

13 September 2011, 12:01 | Updated: 13 September 2011, 12:14

A lorry driver who crashed into a traffic queue - killing a dad of three - has been jailed for just over three years.

The crash happened on the A41 near Kings Langley, Hertfordshire, as traffic queued on the approach to the junction with the M25 just after 9am on Tuesday 19 April 2011.

Ionel Bordieanu, 43, from Romania, had been driving an articulated lorry on the southbound A41 and was travelling at 48mph when he hit the last car in the queue, driven by Matthew Barker, 39.

Mr Barker was killed by the impact and pronounced dead at the scene.  His Ford Focus was shunted into a Land Rover Freelander, which overturned, causing the 24 year old woman driver extensive injuries to her arm, which became trapped under the vehicle.  Several other people suffered minor injuries.

Mr Bordieanu was sentenced to three years and four months in prison.  He has also been disqualified from driving for five years, and will have to take an extended test before he can regain his driving licence.

St Albans Crown Court heard the crash happened because he hadn't been paying full attention to what was going on on the road.

CPS Senior Crown Prosecutor, Andrew Hudson, said "All drivers are required to exercise a standard of driving at least equal to that of a ‘careful and competent driver’.

"The defendant was a man of previous good character.  The sentence passed by HHJ Catterson, after the defendant entered a guilty plea, recognises the fact that driving an HGV carries with it an increased level of risk to road users, should the driving fall below that standard."