Cocaine-Fueled HGV Driver Caused M25 Multi-Vehicle Crash has been Sentenced

A driver, under the influence of cocaine, caused a major accident on the M25 motorway. 37-year-old Alan Smith, from Poynton in Stockport, was disqualified from driving for three and a half years after his reckless actions behind the wheel of a heavy goods vehicle (HGV) resulted in a seven-vehicle pile-up.

Smith appeared at St Albans Crown Court on July 10th, 2024. He received a suspended sentence of 24 months, was ordered to complete 150 hours of unpaid work, and participate in eight days of rehabilitation activity. Additionally, he must pay £1,500 in prosecution costs.

Initially, Smith pleaded not guilty to causing serious injury by dangerous driving and drug driving charges filed in October 2023. However, he changed his plea to guilty before the trial.

The incident occurred on the anti-clockwise carriageway near junction 22 for St Albans shortly before 6:27 am on Friday, February 24th, 2023. Smith, driving a blue MAN HGV, was weaving through traffic, failing to properly check blind spots while changing lanes. This resulted in a collision with a Toyota Corolla in the next lane. The Corolla spun out of control, triggering a chain reaction that involved five other vehicles.

One driver, a man in his 60s, sustained life-threatening injuries but thankfully survived the crash. After causing the accident, Smith fled the scene. Police later located him over 100 miles away and confirmed he was under the influence of cocaine at the time of the incident.

Detective Constable Peter Hoddy, from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said: “While the pain and suffering for those involved in the collision will be hard to forget, I hope that this result from the court has sent out a strong warning to anyone who believes they are above the law.

“Driving dangerously and driving under the influence of drugs will not be tolerated in Hertfordshire and those who commit such offences will be dealt with.”