Van driver who killed girl in head-on crash jailed

Veselin Dudenski was jailed for six years at Lincoln Crown Court

A delivery driver has been jailed for six years after killing a seven-year-old girl and seriously injuring her father after he hit their car.

Veselin Dudenski, 39, showed a "lack of patience" when he pulled out to overtake in a hidden dip and hit the oncoming vehicle head-on, Lincoln Crown Court heard.

Elsie died and her father, Jamie Gascoigne, was injured following the collision on the B1202 at Metheringham Heath, near Sleaford on 3 January.

Paying tribute, Elsie's parents said she was a "whirlwind of personality and energy" and her "non-stop chatter always meant life was never dull or quiet around her".

Prosecutor Claire Holmes said Elsie was a rear passenger in the car driven by Mr Gascoigne and was travelling home from a shopping trip when they were struck head-on by Dudenski's van.

Ms Holmes told the court Dudenski had already overtaken another vehicle and then a short time later moved on to the wrong side of the road to pass another unknown vehicle in the hidden dip.

"There were warnings of the hidden dip, road signs and road markings," Ms Holmes said.

"Either Dudenski paid insignificant attention and did not see the warnings or he saw them and ignored them."

The prosecutor said Mr Gascoigne tried to take evasive action but a head-on collision could not be avoided.

Elsie was taken to hospital after suffering a broken neck but died in the early hours of the following morning.

Passing sentence, Judge Sjolin Knight said she accepted that Dudenski was unaware of the dip, which meant his dangerous driving did not fall into the highest sentencing category, but told him: "You were tragically wrong about that."

She added that his driving showed a "lack of patience".

"In your interview you said you waited for a few seconds, but as I have found that simply cannot be true," the judge said.

She added: "I did not until today see remorse for Elsie and her family."

Elsie was a "whirlwind of personality", her parents have said in a tribute

Following the hearing earlier, Elsie's mother, Kerry, said: "Elsie was a mummy's girl who would follow me everywhere, never wanting to be away from me or without me.

"The loss of a child is the cruellest life punishment you could inflict on a person.

"The happy memories of her life and our lives together have been tainted with the trauma of images no parent should have to see or experience."

Dudenski, of Cherry Avenue, Branston, in Lincolnshire, pleaded guilty to causing death and serious injury by dangerous driving at a previous hearing and has also been banned from driving for eight years.

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