Ambulance driver who caused the deaths of two pensioners by careless driving spared jail
Julie Ijere, 60, of Stowmarket, Suffolk, was driving a patient transport ambulance operated by a private service when it drifted into the path of an oncoming car and crashed.
An ambulance driver has been spared jail for causing the deaths of two people by careless driving.
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Julie Ijere, 60, of Stowmarket, Suffolk, was driving a patient transport ambulance operated by a private service when it drifted into the path of an oncoming car and crashed, Suffolk Police said.
The ambulance tipped on to its side in the crash on the B1506 Bury Road, between Kentford and Newmarket, on December 19 2023.
Another employee of the company and two patients were in the back of the ambulance.
One of the patients, 93-year-old Anthony Dawbarn, died after the collision, as did the driver of the oncoming Volkswagen Golf, 70-year-old Jane Blampied.
Ijere pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to two counts of causing death by careless driving and she was sentenced at Cambridge Crown Court on Wednesday, Suffolk Police said.
The force said she was sentenced to 20 months in prison suspended for 30 months.
She was banned from driving for five years and will have to take an extended retest.
Mrs Blampied and Mr Dawbarn were taken to hospital in Cambridge after the collision and died of their injuries two days later on December 21.
Investigators reviewed dashcam footage from the ambulance and found that just before the collision the ambulance had crossed the broken white lines in the middle of the road on to the other side and into the path of the VW, police said.
The reason for this is unknown.
Police said there was no evidence of any distractions inside the ambulance, or that Ijere had been interacting with her phone.
She was on prescription medication at the time but there was no evidence to suggest this adversely affected her ability to drive safely, the force said.
'Tragic'
Detective Inspector Dave McCormack, of the Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said: “This has been a tragic case for the families of Jane Blampied and Anthony Dawbarn to deal with.
“It has taken a long time to be brought to court and I thank the families for their patience.
“Julie Ijere has pleaded guilty and therefore taken responsibility, however this still doesn’t give the families the answer as to what caused the collision.
“This is understandably a cause of frustration for them.
“Drivers must fully recognise that they have a responsibility to other road users to drive safely, concentrate and be fit to drive at all times when they are behind the wheel.
“Sincere thanks should also be passed on to the members of public and emergency services for all efforts made to save the lives of the two victims on that terrible evening.”
Ijere was ordered to carry out 80 hours of unpaid work, take part in a 15-day rehabilitation activity programme, pay a £500 victim surcharge and £187 in costs, police said.