Asen Kurtev, 46, of Carlton Road, Boston, was driving on the A16 from Boston towards Spalding, when he overtook other vehicles dangerously, colliding head-on with an approaching Volkswagen.
About 6:50am on 4 March 2024 near Sutterton, Kurtev in his Vauxhall Zafira was conveying his wife and three other passengers to work and was running late. He was driving dangerously and overtaking despite the approaching Volkswagen that he later stated in interview he had failed to see properly.
Sofka Mitkova, 39, his wife and front seat passenger was killed in the collision and his three passengers seriously injured. The driver of the Volkswagen, who tried to avoid the collision, also received serious injuries.
Investigations by Lincolnshire Police’s Serious and Forensic Collision Investigation Units established the sequence of events and that Kurtev had driven dangerously, with no regard for other road users. Technical examinations of the vehicles involved found no defects that could have contributed to the collision.
Detective Sergeant Adam Doona, from Lincolnshire Police’s Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said: “This collision demonstrates the importance of being patient when driving. Kurtev’s lateness for work, led to him driving dangerously, carrying out inappropriate overtakes with a reckless regard for the safety of other road users. As a result, his wife paid the ultimate price and four other individuals sustained serious injuries which required extensive ongoing treatment.
“Whilst no-one wants to be late, it is better to arrive late, than not at all. The selfish actions and utter disregard for others that Kurtev displayed have rightly attracted a substantial sentence from the court.”
Kurtev, having admitted causing death by dangerous driving and four charges of causing serious injury by dangerous driving was sentenced at Lincoln Crown Court to 10 years and 9 months imprisonment and banned from driving for 12 years 2 months and must take an extended re-test before driving again.
Asen Kurtev, 46, of Carlton Road, Boston
