A 23-year-old man has been prisoned for nine years for causing death by dangerous driving after a 71-year-old was killed by a motor collision.
On February 14, 2025, at around 10:10 pm, Zdzislaw Tarbaj, 71, was driving coastbound along the M20 near Charing. Believing his vehicle had developed a mechanical fault, he pulled over onto the hard shoulder between junctions 8 and 9, turned on the hazard lights and stepped out of the vehicle. As he began to inspect the car, an Iveco box van struck and killed him. He was pronounced dead at the scene by emergency services.
Kent Police discovered that the driver of the van, 23-year-old Ionut Bejan, had been using WhatsApp in the moments prior to the accident. An examination of his phone uncovered nine messages sent to a group chat between 10:06pm and 10:17pm, including a picture update. One of the messages had been edited, which cannot be done hands-free. Police also found that his van, which was subject to a maximum load of 3,500kg, was carrying over 5,000kg of load at the time of the incident.
Appearing in Maidstone Crown Court on November 12, 2025, Bejan pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving, and was sentenced to nine years and nine months imprisonment. He was banned from driving for 13 years and six months, and must pass an extended retest before being allowed to drive again.
If you are being investigated for any motoring offence, the team at Auriga Advocates are able to give you vital support and advice as you face the legal process. Call us soon and we can talk through your options and help you prepare your defence.