An HGV driver who caused a seven-vehicle road traffic collision on the M25 while under the influence of cocaine has been disqualified from driving for three and a half years.

Alan Smith, aged 37, from Poynton in Stockport, appeared at St Albans Crown Court on Wednesday 10 July where he was also handed a 24-month suspended sentence, 150 hours of unpaid work, 8 days of rehabilitation activity requirement and ordered to pay £1500 prosecution costs.

On 17 October 2023, he had pleaded not guilty to causing serious injury by dangerous driving, drug driving but changed his plea to guilty before his trial.

The collision occurred on the anti-clockwise carriageway of the M25 motorway shortly before 6.27am on Friday 24 February 2023 near the exit slip road at junction 22 for St Albans.

The defendant passed several slower moving vehicles including a mobile crane and a white car in lane two prior to the collision.

Smith indicated and changed from lane three into lane two without making sufficient checks that it was safe to do so. In doing this, the 37-year-old collided with a grey Toyota Corolla on the near side, which span out of control across the carriageway and a further five vehicles were then involved in the serious collision.

One vehicle was being driven by a man in his 60’s who sadly sustained serious life-threatening injuries, fortunately they survived.

The defendant Smith did not stop at the scene and was tracked down by officers over 100 miles from the collision where he was found to be over the prescribed limit for cocaine.

Commenting on the sentence, Nick Simmons, CEO of RoadPeace, the national charity supporting road crash victims, told Highways News: “RoadPeace members will be surprised and disappointed that the court didn’t feel it was appropriate to impose a custodial sentence in light of such shocking and unacceptable behaviour involving an HGV.”

(Pic – Hertfordshire Constabulary)