A man who took a 'cocktail of drugs' before killing three people in a crash has been jailed for more than a decade. Aurelijus Cielevicius, 39, appeared in court on Tuesday to be handed a ten-and-a-half year sentence for causing death by dangerous driving.
Cielevicius was driving a BMW eastbound along the A47 in the North Runcton, Norfolk, at around 7.40pm on January 15 this year when he was involved in the fatal collision. His car smashed head on into a Vauxhall Mokka being driven by Paul Carter, 41, with his wife Lisa Carter, 49, and her daughter, 25-year-old Jade Mace as passengers, who were travelling in the opposite direction.
The BMW was seen by witnesses travelling at speed and going through red traffic lights before the crash. Forensic collision investigators were able to determine that the speedometer hit 96mph.
Cielevicius, of King’s Lynn, Norfolk, had been overtaking another vehicle, but failed to return to the correct side of the road and collided with the Vauxhall. All three occupants were pronounced dead at the scene.
The BMW passed a stationary marked police vehicle at speed on Hardwick Road, Kings Lynn, just minutes earlier. The officer gave chase, but the BMW had moved out of sight.
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The same officer was then deployed to the collision, arriving at 7.47pm to find Cielevicius initially assessed as critically injured and sedated due to being agitated and uncooperative. It was later confirmed that he had only suffered two broken ribs.
Cielevicius was arrested at 1.29am on Monday, January 16, on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving. Toxicology results taken following the collision and read out in court, found Methylamphetamine, Mephedrone and Cannabis in his system as well as other drugs. He was jailed on Tuesday after previously admitting three counts of death by dangerous driving.
Summer Mace, whose mother, sister and step-father Paul died in the collision, read a statement out in court, saying she had messaged them all in family group chat to make sure they were OK, not realising they had been already been involved in the fatal crash.
She told the court: “For me there is no future – mum, Paul and Jade were my whole world – they were the glue that held us all together. On January 15 you did not just kill three of my family members, you killed and destroyed our four entire family units.
"You have killed our future lives, thoughts and hopes – as we have none without them. Mum, Paul and Jade were unique, bright, caring and funny and outgoing people. Without their presence in our lives, the world is a duller place for everyone."
Detective Inspector Dave McCormack, from the Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said: “This is a horrendous case of a dangerous man who was driving while on a cocktail of drugs. His actions have ripped apart a young family, leaving destruction in his wake.
"My condolences go out to the family, who are also victims to this atrocious incident, and I thank them for having the courage to stand up and tell the offender how it has affected them. In addition to this, the incident was attended to by police, fire and ambulance and left emergency service personnel extremely upset and requiring extra support.”
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