A man who killed three members of the same family in a head-on crash after taking a cocktail of drugs has been sentenced to 10 and half years in prison.
Aurelijus Cielevicius, 39 and of John Street in King’s Lynn, was driving at 96mph when the fatal crash happened in January.
He appeared at Norwich Crown Court today (June 20) to be sentenced for three counts of death by dangerous driving.
Cielevicius was driving a BMW eastbound along the A47 near North Runcton at around 7.40pm on January 15.
The BMW was seen travelling at speed and going through red traffic lights.
Forensic collision investigators were able to determine that the speedometer was stuck at 96mph.
In the opposite direction, a Vauxhall Mokka was being driven by Paul Carter, 41, with his wife Lisa Carter, 49, and her daughter, 25-year-old Jade Mace.
Cielevicius was overtaking another vehicle when he hit the Vauxhall Mokka head-on.
All three occupants, Paul, Lisa and Jade, were pronounced dead at the scene.
Just minutes before the crash, the BMW passed a stationary police car at speed on Hardwick Road, Kings Lynn.
The officer attempted to capture the speed of the vehicle with a laser device but was unable to do so. They then put blue lights on the vehicle and left the layby to search for the BMW, but it had moved out of sight.
The officer was then deployed to the crash, arriving at 7.47pm to find Cielevicius initially assessed as critically injured and sedated due to being agitated and uncooperative.
It was later confirmed at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King’s Lynn that he had only suffered minor injuries of two broken ribs.
And toxicology results found Methylamphetamine, Mephedrone and Cannabis in his system as well as other drugs.
Cielevicius was arrested at 1.29am on January 16 for causing death by dangerous driving.
Today (June 20) he was jailed for 10 and a half years to be served concurrently.
He will then serve a further four years on extended licence due to the dangerousness of the offence and will be disqualified from driving for 15 years.
Summer Mace, whose mother, sister and step-father died in the collision, said she had messaged them all in their family group chat to make sure they were ok, not realising they had been involved in the fatal accident.
She told the court: "For me there is no future – Mum, Paul and Jade were my whole world – they were the glue that held us all together.
"On January 15 you did not just kill three of my family members, you killed and destroyed our entire family, you killed and destroyed four entire family units.
"You have killed our future lives, thoughts and hopes – as we have none without them.
"Mum, Paul and Jade were unique, bright, caring and funny and outgoing people.
"Without their presence in our lives, the world is a duller place for everyone. “
Detective Inspector Dave McCormack, from the Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said: “This is a horrendous case of a dangerous man who was driving while on a cocktail of drugs.
"His actions have ripped apart a young family leaving destruction in his wake.
"My condolences go out to the family who are also victims to this atrocious incident, and I thank them for having the courage to stand up and tell the offender how it has affected them.
"In addition to this, the incident was attended to by police, fire and ambulance and left emergency service personnel extremely upset and requiring extra support.”
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