Man disqualified from driving following serious collision on the M25

A reckless man who drove a heavy goods vehicle while under the influence of cocaine on the M25, causing a seven-vehicle road traffic collision 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, who was driving a blue MAN heavy haulage goods vehicle 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.

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.”