Ethan Burdett, a driver from Ipswich Haven Marina, was sentenced to three years in prison for causing a collision on the M25 that resulted in the deaths of four people.Ethan Burdett, a driver from Ipswich Haven Marina, was sentenced to three years in prison for causing a collision on the M25 that resulted in the deaths of four people. On July 4, 2022, Burdett pleaded guilty to four charges of causing death by reckless driving. The fatal crash occurred in 2021 when Burdett’s lorry collided with a minibus in stationary traffic. An investigation revealed that Burdett was not paying attention and reacted less than a second before the collision. Despite removing his foot from the accelerator, his truck was still traveling at over 50 mph when it crashed into the minibus. The minibus was carrying residents of a homeless shelter who were returning from a day at the coast. Three people, Abigael Muamba, Dexter Augustus, and Jennifer Smith, died at the scene. Lisa Gardiner died in the hospital six days later, and four others sustained serious injuries. In passing sentence, Judge Chris Morgan stated that the crash was catastrophic for the victims’ families and those who suffered injuries. He added that they would bear the scars for the rest of their lives. Tests conducted after the crash showed that Burdett was not using his phone or under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Detective Inspector Mark Fraser, who led the investigation, expressed sympathy for the victims’ families and friends and emphasized that the incident remains a heavy burden for the investigating officers.
A driver who caused a collision on the M25 that killed four people has been jailed after pleading guilty.
Ethan Burdett (pictured below) from Ipswich Haven Marina, Ipswich, appeared in Chelmsford Crown Court on Thursday (4 July) where he was sentenced to three years in prison for four charges of causing death by reckless driving following the fatal crash in 2021.
Burdett (67) was also given a four-and-a-half-year driving ban and must retake a driving test.
The lorry collided with the back of a minibus in stationary traffic on the M25 in 2021 when Burdett lost concentration on the inside lane of the motorway.
An investigation by the police Serious Collision Investigation Unit has revealed that Burdett, who was driving between junction 27 and junction 26, only reacted less than a second before the collision when he took his foot off the accelerator,
His truck was still traveling at more than 50 mph when it crashed into the back of the minibus carrying residents of a homeless shelter returning from a day at the coast.
Abigael Muamba, 31, from Edmonton Green, Dexter Augustus, 60, from Waltham Forest, and Jennifer Smith, 59, from Stratford, all died at the scene.
Lisa Gardiner, 44, from Walthamstow, died in hospital six days later from her injuries, while four others were seriously injured in the crash.
Passing sentence, Judge Chris Morgan said the crash was “truly catastrophic for the families of those killed and those left with serious injuries”.
“They will carry the scars with them for the rest of their lives,” he added.
Tests later showed that Burdett was not on his phone and that he had not used drugs or alcohol.
Detective Inspector Mark Fraser, the Highways Police inspector who led the investigation, said: “My thoughts, and those of all my officers involved in the investigation, remain with the families and friends who lost their loved ones that evening.”
