Man who killed wife with 'suicidal' driving jailed

A man who killed his wife and injured four other people in a crash following a "suicidal" driving manoeuvre has been jailed for nearly 11 years.

Asen Kurtev, 46, hit an oncoming vehicle after he tried to overtake a line of cars on the A16 near Boston, Lincolnshire, because he was late for work, Lincoln Crown Court heard.

His wife Sofka Mitkova, 39, who was in the front seat, died at the scene on 4 March 2024 from chest injuries.

The driver of the other car was seriously injured, as were three backseat passengers in Kurtev's car.

A report by a crash investigator determined that the crash was caused by Kurtev, who "commenced an overtake when it wasn't safe to do so".

In a statement read to the court, one of the injured passengers described Kurtev's actions as "suicidal, kamikaze driving".

Witnesses said Kurtev had already dangerously overtaken other cars before the fatal crash.

When asked in a police interview why he carried out the manoeuvre, Kurtev said: "It's the devil's work. How can I explain it?"

The victims suffered injuries including multiple fractures that required surgery and ongoing medical treatment.

The court heard that the passengers could not get the rear seatbelts to work and were not wearing them at the time.

In a victim impact statement, one of Kurtev's passengers said she had been seriously injured "because of someone who does not know how to drive".

"I've not stopped crying. The anxiety is constant," she said.

"I'm so angry he has made this impact on my life."

Passing sentence, Judge Catarina Sjolin Knight said Kurtev had left the victims "wrecked physically and mentally".

She added: "The results of that head-on collision have been catastrophic."

Kurtev, of Carlton Road, Boston, had pleaded guilty at a previous hearing to causing death by dangerous driving and to four counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving.

The judge said the Bulgarian national was likely to be deported after finishing his prison sentence.

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