Man pleads guilty following fatal M25 collision

A man has pleaded guilty to causing the deaths of two people following a collision on the M25 last month.

Barancan Nurcin, aged 22, of High Road in Tottenham, appeared at St Albans Crown Court on Tuesday (26 March). He pleaded guilty to the following offences:

• Causing death by dangerous driving x2
• Causing serious injury by dangerous driving x4
• Causing death whilst unlicensed x2
• Causing death whilst uninsured x2

The collision occurred on Sunday 4 February between junctions 22 (London Colney) and 21A (North Orbital Road/St Albans).

Nurcin was driving a white Citroen Dispatch van which collided with a silver DFSK 580 Glory, a silver Skoda Superb and a black Peugeot 5008.

Zoe Hawes, aged 39 and from Essex, and Fahad Dek, aged 23 and from Enfield, both lost their lives.

Zoe had been travelling to go on holiday to celebrate her 40^th birthday whilst Fahad had been a passenger in the van.

Detective Inspector Mark Fraser, from Essex Police, said: “Our thoughts remain with the victims’ families. They have been through an unimaginable ordeal and we continue to provide them with any support they require. Nurcin caused the loss of two lives on that day but he has broken many more lives by his actions. He can expect to spend a significant length of time behind bars.”

Nurcin will be sentenced on Friday 31 May.

The circumstances leading up to the collision are being investigated by the Independent Office for Police Conduct as officers in a marked vehicle had been in pursuit of the van shortly before the collision. The pursuit was quickly abandoned as the officers assessed that the risk of continuing was too high.

The criminal investigation has been led by Essex Police.