Thetford: Man Jailed Following Car Crash

16 January 2014, 16:44 | Updated: 16 January 2014, 16:59

A 46 year old man from Barnham in Suffolk has been jailed following a car crash in Thetford that killed a man.

Darius Gelezauskas, of Portal Close in Barnham, was driving along the A134 near to Barnham Cross Common just before 6am on Monday 3rd December 2012 when he crashed with another car travelling in the opposite direction.

He had crossed into the path of the other car and hit it head on before then colliding with a third vehicle. The driver of the first car that Gelezauskas hit, 61-year-old Timothy Edwards from Bury St Edmunds, died at the scene. Gelezauskas, his two passengers and the other driver all suffered minor injuries.

A forensic collision investigation found there were no faults with any of the vehicles involved which would have caused the crash. Gelezauskas could offer no explanation as to why his vehicle crossed into the wrong side of the road, but the conditions were poor with rain when it happened.

Gelezauskas admitted a charge of causing death by careless driving at Norwich Crown Court and was today, Thursday 16th January 2014, sentenced to 14 months' imprisonment reduced to seven months with the further seven months on licence. He was also disqualified from driving for two years.

Steve Matthews of Norfolk Constabulary’s Serious Collision Investigation Team said: "A momentary lapse in concentration in poor weather has turned lives upside down. Tim Edwards’s family are now without a husband, father, brother and granddad, and whilst Darius Gelezauskas’s sentence is finite, he must live with the knowledge that his careless driving has caused this loss.

"This case should serve as a reminder to all drivers to stay alert, drive to the conditions and be aware of your surroundings. This was a journey Gelezauskas regularly made but on that day 13 months ago, it had a tragic ending. I would like to extend my sympathies to Mr Edwards’s family at this difficult time.”