Reckless HGV Driver Disqualified After Causing Seven-Vehicle Collision on M25
St Albans, Hertfordshire – A 37-year-old man from Poynton in Stockport, who drove a heavy goods vehicle (HGV) while under the influence of cocaine and caused a major road traffic collision on the M25, has been disqualified from driving for three and a half years.
Alan Smith appeared at St Albans Crown Court on Wednesday, 10 July, where he received a 24-month suspended sentence, 150 hours of unpaid work, and an 8-day rehabilitation activity requirement. He was also ordered to pay £1,500 in prosecution costs.
Smith initially pleaded not guilty to causing serious injury by dangerous driving and drug driving. However, he changed his plea to guilty before his trial commenced.
The incident occurred on the anti-clockwise carriageway of the M25 motorway at 6.27 am on Friday, 24 February 2023, near the exit slip road at junction 22 for St Albans. Smith, driving a blue MAN heavy haulage goods vehicle, failed to check adequately before changing lanes, resulting in a serious collision involving seven vehicles.
Before the collision, Smith had overtaken several slower-moving vehicles, including a mobile crane and a white car in lane two. When he indicated and moved from lane three to lane two without ensuring it was safe, he collided with a grey Toyota Corolla. The impact caused the Corolla to spin out of control, leading to a chain reaction involving five additional vehicles.
One of the vehicles involved was driven by a man in his 60s who sustained serious, life-threatening injuries but fortunately survived.
Smith fled the scene but was tracked down by officers over 100 miles from the collision site. He was found to be over the prescribed limit for cocaine.
Detective Constable Peter Hoddy, from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, and Hertfordshire Serious Collision Investigation Unit, commented on the case: “While the pain and suffering for those involved in the collision will be hard to forget, I hope that this result from the court has sent out a strong warning to anyone who believes they are above the law. Driving dangerously and driving under the influence of drugs will not be tolerated in Hertfordshire and those who commit such offences will be dealt with.”
The court’s decision underscores the serious consequences of reckless and drug-influenced driving, aiming to deter similar offenses in the future.
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