A GERMAN lorry driver, who admitted killing an elderly motorist in a horrific crash on the M25, was today jailed for four-and-a-half years.

Ronald Moughton, 79, from Ilford, was pronounced dead at the scene of a ten-vehicle pile- up at junction 30 of the M25 on Tuesday, April 2.

Echo:

Anton Maizen

At Basildon Crown Court today, Anton Maizen, a lorry driver, 58, from Wixhausen, Germany, was jailed for years after pleading guilty to one charge of causing death by dangerous driving and two counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving.

Four lorries and six cars collided just before junction 30’s exit exit slip, heading clockwise on the M25, causing two other motorists to suffer serious injuries.

They were airlifted to the Royal London Hospital. One of those, a 47-year-old woman, was from Basildon while the other a 58-year-old man, was Mr Moughton’s son.

A further two adults and a child were taken to Basildon Hospital by ambulance.

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It is thought one of the lorries jack-knifed, pinning Mr Moughton’s Renualt Clio against the wall of the hard shoulder while another HGV struck that lorry.

At least two other cars struck one of the lorries and went beneath the wheels of its trailer.

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WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT - Watch the horrific moment the lorry driver crashed on the M25 here (the video was supplied by Essex Police with the co-operation of all the victims and their families. )

Anton Maizen regularly drove lorries in the UK on this route. He had been at work for nearly 23 hours and driving for nearly 15 hours of this 23 without a break, thereby putting himself and other road users in danger.

The 840-mile journey had begun in Germany, with Maizen entering the UK via Folkestone. He then drove to south London, before continuing on his way to Lincolnshire. He was returning to the Channel Tunnel when the crash took place on the M25.

CCTV clearly shows the scene and other drivers slowing and safely coming to a stop on the slip road. During his police interviews, Anton Maizen was unable to explain why he struck the rear of the queue at his maximum speed of 56mph. He hit a BMW, which contained a mother and her young son, propelling it into another lane and into the path of a lorry.

Anton Maizon’s tachograph charts were found hidden behind the driver’s seat and again later when officers carried out a search of him in in police custody and found a chart in his sock.

The charts showed the route he had taken during the period leading up to the crash which police traced back to his operating centre in Germany. This was corroborated by CCTV and electronic transactions in the UK and Europe.

Senior Investigating Officer, Insp Keith Whiting, said: "We believe drivers and owners of foreign and British commercial lorries will take note from this tragic incident that those who disregard the law and the safety of vulnerable people in smaller vehicles around them will be brought to justice, face a prison sentence and a lengthy disqualification. We also believe that people who were disrupted for several hours as a result of this crash will appreciate that the complex and meticulous investigation undertaken by Essex Police’s Serious Collision Investigation Unit was justified and has successfully brought a driver to justice for causing one death and serious injury of two other road users.”

Road policing officers are continuing with their enquiries into the owners of Anton Maizen’s lorry to ensure they have not contravened European driver hours regulations.

Anton Maizen was also disqualified from driving for five years and ordered to take an extended driving test in order to regain his licence.