Drug fuelled 96mph driver jailed for 10 years for killing family of three

A BMW driver travelling at speeds up to 96mph killed a Fens family of three in a head on crash whilst high on drugs that included methylamphetamine, mephedrone and cannabis.

He was jailed yesterday for 10 and a half years.

Paul Carter,41, with his wife Lisa Carter, 49 and her daughter, 25-year-old Jade Mace from Albert Avenue, Gedney in South Lincolnshire died in the crash.

Family members described Paul, Lisa, and Jade as “the three most caring, amazing, beautiful people”. Paul was a builder; Lisa was a hairdresser and Jade a youth offending officer.

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Aurelijus Cielevicius, 39, of John Street, King’s Lynn, appeared at Norwich Crown Court on Tuesday where he was jailed for ten and a half years to be served concurrently.

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He had previously admitting three counts of death by dangerous driving after a fatal collision on the on the A47 near the Hardwick roundabout and between Middleton and Kings Lynn on the evening of Sunday 15 January 2023.

Cielevicius will serve a further four years on extended licence due to the dangerousness of the offence and will be disqualified from driving for 15 years.

Toxicology results, taken following the crash, read out at the plea hearing, found methylamphetamine, mephedrone and cannabis in his system as well as other drugs.

Cielevicius was driving a BMW eastbound along the A47 area at around 7.40pm when a Vauxhall Mokka being was being driven by Paul – with Lisa and Jade in his car – travelling in the opposite direction, westbound.

The BMW was seen by witnesses travelling at speed and going through red traffic lights.

Forensic collision investigators were able to determine that the speedometer was stuck at 96mph. Cielevicius had been overtaking another vehicle but failed to return to the correct side of the road and collided with the Vauxhall Mokka.

All three occupants were pronounced dead at the scene.

Prior to the crash, the BMW passed a stationary marked police vehicle at speed on Hardwick Road, Kings Lynn, just minutes earlier.

The officer had attempted to capture the speed of the vehicle with a laser device within the vehicle, however, was unable to do so. The officer then put blue lights on the vehicle and left the layby to search for the BMW, but it had moved out of sight.

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The officer was then deployed to the crash, arriving at 7.47pm on scene to find Cielevicius initially assessed as critically injured and sedated due to being agitated and uncooperative.

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Later, it was confirmed at the QEH in King’s Lynn that he had only suffered minor injuries of two broken ribs.

Aurelijus Cielevicius, of John Street, King’s Lynn, appeared at Norwich Crown Court, where he was jailed for ten and a half years to be served concurrently, after previously admitting three counts of death by dangerous driving.

Cielevicius was arrested at 1.29am on Monday 16 January 2023 for causing death by dangerous driving.

Summer Mace, whose mother, sister, and stepfather 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 already been involved in the fatal accident.

The family released a photograph of Jade Mace, Paul (PJ) Carter, Lisa Carter (left to right). All three were killed in a crash on the A47 by a drug driver.

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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.

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“On the 15^{th of} January you did not just kill three of my family members, you killed and destroyed our entire family members, you killed and destroyed 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.”