Sofka Mitkova dies in fatal Lincolnshire car crash
Fatal Lincolnshire car crash death of Sofka Mitkova
A driver who killed his wife, Sofka Mitkova, in a severe head-on collision while travelling to work late has received a sentence of more than ten years imprisonment. The incident took place on the A16 motorway outside Boston, Lincolnshire, last year.
Lincoln Crown Court heard that Asen Kurtev, aged forty-six, performed a hazardous overtaking manoeuvre while transporting colleagues, including his wife, to their workplace. Kurtev’s vehicle collided with an oncoming car, resulting in the fatal chest injuries for Sofka, who was thirty-nine.
The court on Thursday sentenced Kurtev to ten years and nine months imprisonment for causing death by dangerous driving. He received concurrent sentences of thirty-six months for three counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving related to the backseat passengers in his Vauxhall Zafira, and twenty-seven months for causing injury to the driver of the opposing vehicle he collided with.
The judge presiding over the case, Catarina Sjolin Knight KC, addressed Kurtev, stating that the loss of his wife constitutes an enduring “pain and punishment”. Testimony from the husband and wife passengers, Kiril Ribarov and Gayla Ribarova, indicated they had urged Kurtev to slow down during the overtaking incident at approximately 6:50 am.
Prosecution counsel, Tony Stanford, indicated that Kurtev was responsible for picking up workers and driving them to the factory for the seven am shift. However, he arrived twenty-five minutes late, and Mr. Ribarov reported to police that it was clear Kurtev was attempting to make up time.
The prosecutor described Kurtev’s actions, specifically overtaking a line of multiple vehicles in a brief fifteen-second manoeuvre on the busy A16, as reckless and akin to “suicide, kamikaze driving”.
The judge noted that the A16, like many Lincolnshire motorways, was flat and offered good visibility, but concluded the traffic conditions were unsuitable for overtaking due to a continuous line of traffic. Kurtev’s car was entirely in the opposing carriageway at the moment of the crash, colliding head-on with a Volkswagen Scirocco driven by Cameron Marshall, aged twenty-two.
Mr. Marshall, a professional HGV driver at the time of the accident, suffered serious injuries requiring surgery, including fractures to his spine and wrist. In a victim impact statement, he expressed shock at the crash and described the profound effect the injuries have had on his family.
All three backseat passengers, reportedly not wearing seatbelts, sustained serious injuries. Mr. Ribarov stated that he and his wife had been forced to return to Bulgaria due to the aftermath of the crash. He detailed the significant financial strain in Bulgaria, stating he could not support his family while living on the UK benefits they were initially relying upon.
Defence counsel, John McNally, representing Kurtev who pleaded guilty, argued that if Kurtev had spotted Mr. Marshall’s car approaching, he would not have undertaken the overtaking manoeuvre. Kurtev expressed genuine remorse, acknowledging his responsibility and the lasting impact of his actions on his family and others involved.
The judge, addressing Kurtev via a Bulgarian interpreter, recounted the events, questioning whether Kurtev saw the oncoming vehicle. She firmly stated that the traffic conditions presented no justification for the overtaking attempt, which was inherently unsafe with no viable escape route should the collision occur.
The judge described the manoeuvre as “obviously highly dangerous” and the consequences as “catastrophic”. Kurtev has been sentenced to two-thirds of his sentence before potential deportation, and he faces a five-year driving ban upon his release.
