A delivery driver has been jailed for six years for killing a seven-year-old girl and seriously injuring her father in a head-on crash caused by a dangerous overtake. Veselin Dudenski, 39, ignored warning signs for a hidden dip when he pulled into the opposite lane on a Lincolnshire road on January 3.
Elsie Gascoigne died in hospital the day after the collision on Metheringham Heath Lane in Nocton. Her father, who was driving the family's blue Kia Rio, suffered fractures to his breast bone, lower back and arm, including what prosecutors described as a major injury with significant long-term implications.
Dudenski, who has 17 years' professional driving experience, was delivering parcels in his white Citroen Relay van when the crash occurred. A warning sign for the hidden dip was located 425 metres before the collision site.
Six years and deportation
Lincoln Crown Court heard on Friday that Dudenski pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving and causing serious injury by dangerous driving. He received a six-year sentence and an eight-year driving ban.
As a foreign national, Dudenski is liable for automatic deportation following his sentence.
Prosecutor Claire Holmes told the court: «The defendant moved into the Kia's lane, resulting in a head-on collision between the white van and the blue Kia. There were warnings of the dip, namely a road sign and road markings. A careful and competent driver should have been fully aware of the hidden dip.»
Parents' heartbreak
Elsie's parents described their daughter in a statement read to the court as «bright, loving, funny and full of life». They said: «Losing Elsie is not just the loss of a child, it's the loss of our entire future. We have lost her laughter, her dreams and everything she would have become.»
The statement added that Elsie was the centre of her father's world and their bond had been «shattered».
Driver's 'catastrophic error'
Charles Myatt, defending Dudenski, argued his client «felt, believed, that the road was clear as he started the overtake». He said: «He did not believe there was a hidden dip there. His genuine belief was that, yes, the road has hidden dips but that is further along. His gross mistake was to not observe the sign.»
Myatt described Dudenski, who has a young child, as a usually «decent, law-abiding driver» who made a «catastrophic error of judgement».
Judge Catarina Sjolin Knight told Dudenski during sentencing: «You simply did not take the time and care you needed to ensure that when you crossed the centre line into the other carriageway it was clear.»
Dudenski sat with his head down throughout the hearing. Investigators confirmed he was not distracted, speeding or intoxicated at the time of the crash.
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
