A drink driver has been jailed for eight years after causing a head-on collision which killed one man and left three seriously injured. Tomasz Zylinski, 48, had been driving his Mercedes Vito along the A47 near to Thorney Toll, reportedly "stinking of alcohol", when he ploughed into a Mercedes A35 at about 11.50pm on June 11, 2022.

The Mercedes A53 was being driven by Shahrose Nawaz, 29, from Crawley, West Sussex, who died at the scene. The front passenger, 36, spent several weeks in an induced coma after suffering a ruptured aorta and two rear passengers, in their early 20s, sustained serious injuries.

In the moments after the collision, Zylinski, of Chapel Street, March, tried to restart his engine and was described by a witness as “stinking of alcohol”. He failed a breath test and was more than three times the legal limit.

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A police investigation found Zylinksi had been driving towards Wisbech when he veered into the oncoming carriageway, causing the fatal crash. Several motorists recalled seeing Zylinski driving erratically in the minutes leading up to the collision.

One man urged his girlfriend, who was driving behind Zylinski’s van, to keep back a good distance as he feared they were following a drink-driver. He then saw Zylinski speed up and narrowly avoid a head-on collision with an oncoming vehicle before hitting Mr Nawaz’s car.

At Cambridge Crown Court on 6 February, Zylinski pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving, two counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving and driving a vehicle while above legal limit. He was jailed and disqualified from driving for eight years and 64 months and ordered to undergo an extended driving test when his ban comes to an end.

DC Niall Hamshere, from the serious collision investigation unit, said: “Yet another life is lost due to a drink-driver. This horrifying case has brought so much heartache to the victims and their families. Zylinski knew he had consumed alcohol but selfishly had no regard for the safety of others.

“Drink driving is illegal, dangerous and truly ruins lives. People can help us make the roads of Cambridgeshire safer for everyone by confidentially reporting others they suspect of driving while under the influence.”

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