Truck driver jailed for killing two men after crashing while distracted by his sat nav

A truck driver who killed two men in a head-on collision after getting distracted by his sat nav has been jailed.

Traian Soare was driving a lorry downhill towards the docks in Dover when he veered into the opposite lane, crashing into an oncoming Nissan Qashqai and killing 29-year-old Artem Larionov and his passenger 38-year-old Nikita Tsirelson.

The 51-year-old Romanian, who admitted in court that he was distracted by his sat nav, was jailed for two years at Canterbury Crown Court for two counts of causing death by dangerous driving, Kent Police said.

He was also disqualified from driving for two years and seven months and must take an extended driving test before he will be allowed back on the road.

Senior investigating officer Sergeant Christopher Wade said: “When driving a lorry is your profession, there is a responsibility placed your shoulders to ensure your driving is of the highest standards.

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“Soare had failed to adhere to a basic level of driving and it led to the most tragic of consequences.”