A drink-driver who caused a head-on crash which killed one man and left three seriously injured has been jailed for eight years.
Tomasz Zylinski, 48, had been driving his Mercedes Vito along the A47 near to Thorney Toll when he ploughed into a Mercedes A35 at about 11.50pm on 11 June 2022.
The Mercedes A53 was being driven by Shahrose Nawaz, 29, from Crawley, West Sussex, who died at the scene.
The front passenger, aged 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, providing a reading of 110 micrograms of alcohol per 100ml of breath – more than three times the legal limit of 35 micrograms.
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 – he was seen performing a U-turn on the A47 and another witness saw him almost veer into the path of an oncoming lorry.
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.”
‘In our religion we believe that Shahrose is a martyr’
The family of Shahrose Nawaz, 29, of Waterlea, in Crawley, Sussex, who died at the scene issued a statement after the crash.
The statement read: “Shahrose is a beautiful person inside and out. A lot of people were touched by Shahrose and had a connection with him. In our religion we believe that Shahrose is a martyr. This means we believe he is alive.
“According to the Holy Quran one of the best ways for a person to die is martyrdom.
“Quran 3:169 states: ‘Do not consider as dead those who are slain in the path of God; rather they are alive and well-provided for in the presence of their Lord.’
“We as a family find comfort knowing Shahrose is taken care of and has definitely gone to a place where he will receive the best, much better than this world.
“We thank the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough community, the police officers, the family liaison officers, coroners, funeral directors and religious leaders for being able to be patient with us and help us in ensuring that Shahrose returned to his resting place in Crawley, West Sussex.
“He now rests in the Little Trees graveyard in an area called ‘Bird’s Paradise’ which was allocated to him.
“We see everything as a sign and we believe in the will of our Lord first and foremost. We now ask that everybody pray for us to be able to have strength to move forward. We humbly request as a family time to grieve and ask for privacy in which to do so. May we all be reunited with you in paradise. Ameen.
“Verily we belong to Allah, and verily to Him, we will have to return.” (Quran 2:156)
