Driver jailed for digger crash that killed woman

David Taiwo was driving two women home from a night out when he crashed his BMW

A driver who caused the death of a woman when he crashed into a digger at speed has been jailed for 10 and a half years.

The crash on the A138 in Boreham, Essex, caused the death of Simona Matukytnaite and saw her friend, Elize Soper, suffer life-changing injuries.

BMW driver David Taiwo, 26, was driving the women home from a night out, having met them earlier that evening on 31 July 2021 in Chelmsford.

Taiwo, of Halbutt Street in Dagenham, east London, was sentenced at Chelmsford Crown Court having admitted causing death by dangerous driving, causing serious injury by dangerous driving and possessing cocaine.

He had "considerably exceeded" the speed limit while travelling through roadworks, before smashing into an unattended digger, Essex Police said.

Taiwo then refused to give a breath or blood sample at the scene.

Simona Matukytnaite died at the scene of the crash in Boreham

Ms Soper, who was sat in the rear of the car, was found seriously injured after the crash, which happened shortly after 03:00 BST.

The family of Ms Matukytnaite said their lives had been left "broken in a thousand pieces".

"Simona was a happy, outgoing and kind person. She would enter a room and light it up with her smile and voice," a statement read.

"The actions of the driver have abruptly ended my beautiful girl's life and ended the dreams of her having a family, and destroyed my future memories with her."

There had been a speed limit ranging between 30mph and 40mph on the A138 at the time of the crash

During the court hearing on Thursday, Taiwo was banned from driving for 11 years and three months.

He would need to pass an extended driving test before he got his licence back, Judge Christopher Morgan ruled.