Jail for road death man who fled to Turkey in 2018

Fethi Kavas was from Aydin in western Turkey

A 64-year-old man who fled to Turkey after causing a crash which killed a man has been jailed.

Fethi Kavas was extradited from Bulgaria to be sentenced for his part in a crash on the M1 in Northamptonshire in January 2018.

David Levett, a vulnerable man, was a passenger in one of the cars hit by Kavas's lorry.

Kavas was sentenced to four years and four months in prison at Northampton Crown Court.

'Red notice'

Mr Levett, who was 53 and lived in a care home, was a passenger in a car being driven by a carer on 28 January 2018.

The car had stopped in the nearside lane of a "smart" section of the M1 near junction 17 at Kilsby, where there was no hard shoulder, to help the driver of a car that had broken down.

Kavas's lorry drove into the back of the carer's car, which was then pushed into the back of the faulty vehicle.

Mr Levett was taken to hospital but could not be saved. A 45-year-old man was also seriously injured in the crash.

Kavas was questioned at the scene, but then fled to Turkey.

Northamptonshire Police eventually secured a red notice, which is a request to law enforcement agencies in other countries to find and arrest a suspect.

In February 2024, Kavas was located in Bulgaria and later brought back to the UK where he pleaded guilty to causing death and serious injury by dangerous driving at Northampton Crown Court.

He was sentenced on 19 July to four years and four months in prison, and disqualified from driving for five years and two months.

Angie Mower told the court there had been no closure for the family since 2018

In her victim impact statement, Mr Levett’s sister Angie Mower said: “In this six-year period, we have felt in limbo as there has been no closure for us as a family.

“Sadly, our father passed away in February 2021 - [he] loved David very much and missed him every day.

“My mother, who is now 80, has had to live with the passing of her son David, and then her husband, and both have had a big impact on her mental wellbeing.”

Det Sgt Janette Maitland, who led the investigation, said the family's loss was "compounded by the time it has taken to get Fethi Kavas back to the UK and see him brought to justice.

"I am pleased that we have managed to do that, and I hope the conclusion of this case allows the family to feel some sense of closure."