A DRIVER has been convicted of causing a crash which killed two people in Essex.

Kane Faulkner-Wild, 23, has been found guilty of two counts of causing death by dangerous driving and two counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving in relation to the tragedy.

Police came across a crashed BMW while on an overnight patrol in August 2019.

They discovered it had come off the road and hit a tree.

Front seat passenger Sophia Khan, 16, and 21-year-old Max Halcrow were both killed as a result of the collision.

Upon impact, a 16-year-old girl sitting in the rear, was thrown from the car.

The passenger sitting behind the driver’s seat – a 17-year-old girl - was trapped.

Both were taken to a London hospital after sustaining life-changing injuries.

Faulkner-Wild was found walking away from the driver’s door, with only minor injuries.

He denied driving the vehicle, which had crashed in Goldings Hill, Loughton, after a night out drinking.

But Faulkner-Wild, of St Johns Road, Epping, was charged with a number of offences following an extensive investigation.

He denied all charges when he appeared at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court on December 12 last year.

During his trial at the same court, the jury heard how investigating officers calculated the car was travelling far in excess of the 40 mph speed limit when it crashed and that Faulkner-Wild’s blood alcohol level showed he was above the drink driving limit.

Yesterday, the jury found Kane Faulkner-Wild guilty of the aforementioned offences.

He will be sentenced in the New Year.

Det Serg Sam Nason said: “The deaths of Sophia Khan and Max Halcrow were tragic and completely preventable. Two other young people were left with serious life changing injuries.

“Kane Faulkner-Wild should not have got behind the wheel that night after he knew that he had been drinking and wasn’t safe to do so.

“Despite denying his involvement in causing the collision, the jury heard that our investigation proved he was the driver and fully responsible.

“Two families will now live with the knowledge that their daughter and son were taken too soon.”