Jail for HGV driver who killed four on the M25

Roads policing officers were called to the M25 in Waltham Abbey shortly after 6.15pm on 23 August 2021, following reports a lorry had collided with a minibus.

An investigation by the serious collision investigation unit established that 67-year-old HGV driver Ethan Burdett had been travelling between junction 27 to junction 26.

As he approached the exit slip road to junction 26, he failed to react to stationary traffic queuing in lane one and collided with the rear of the minibus which shunted forward and struck a car.

When officers arrived, they saw that the minibus and lorry both had sustained substantial damage.

Of the 11 passengers in the minibus four were seriously injured; three additional passengers and the driver of the car all sustained minor injuries.

However, 31-year-old Abigael Muamba, 60-year-old Dexter Augustus and 59-year-old Jennifer Smith all died in the collision.

Lisa Gardiner, 44, later died of her injuries.

The anti-clockwise section of the M25 was closed for 11-and-a-half hours.

Ipswich-based Burdett pleaded guilty to causing the death of four people due to careless driving when he appeared at Chelmsford Crown Court.

As well as being jailed, he was also disqualified from driving for four-and-a-half years and will be required to undertake a retest.

Detective Inspector Mark Fraser said: “My thoughts, and those of all my officers who have been involved in the investigation, continue to be with the families and friends who lost their loved ones that evening.”