Man, 33, jailed for death by careless driving following M40 accident which killed two at Loudwater

A 33 year old man from Newnham Gardens, Northolt, Ealing, London has been sentenced to nine months in prison for causing death by careless driving.

On Wednesday 2nd December 2015 at Aylesbury Crown Court the man was found guilty by a majority verdict at Aylesbury Crown Court following a three day trial of two counts of causing death by careless driving.

He was sentenced at the same court on the same day to nine months’ imprisonment and was disqualified from driving for three years.

On Sunday 25th January 2015 the man mas driving his BMW on the Southbound carriageway of the M40 near Loudwater, High Wycombe when he lost control of his car which struck the central barrier, went over the barrier and collided with a Renault car travelling on the opposite carriageway.

Both vehicles caught fire in the collision.

The two occupants of the Renault, the 63 year old driver and his 84 year old aunt were both killed as a result of the collision.

Judge Cole expressed his thanks to the family of the deceased for conducting themselves with dignity throughout the trial.

The judge also took the unusual step of addressing the convicted man directly in open court and telling him that if he had pleaded guilty and if he had answered police enquiries rather than giving ‘no comment’ answers, thereby saving the family the ordeal of the court case, he would have escaped jail and been given a suspended sentence.

Richard Thorpe, the Senior Investigating Officer in this case and manager of the Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said: ‘I would like to put on record my thoughts of condolence for the [deceased s] family who have acted with total dignity during this investigation. These collisions are always a tragedy for all persons involved but especially when two family members die in the same collision.‘