A MAN who 'loved to drive fast' has been jailed for more than a decade after killing a passenger and seriously injuring another following a collision with a digger.

David Taiwo met two young women on a night out in Chelmsford on Saturday, July 31, 2021, and offered to drive them home.

When the two passengers were in the car, Taiwo began driving dangerously and at high speed, Chelmsford Crown Court heard.

He drove the women a distance of about 3.3 miles through roadworks on the A138, Boreham, where the speed limit on the carriageway was 40mph and 30mph in some places.

The court heard Taiwo was driving at speeds of between 79mph and 93mph.

Joey Kwong, prosecuting, said that when one passenger questioned him about his speed, Taiwo said “I love to drive fast” and that he did it all the time.

His vehicle collided with an unattended digger left by the roadworks, flipping multiple times before coming to rest on its roof.

Despite her seatbelt, 24-year-old Simona Matukytnaite, who was in the front passenger seat, was pronounced dead at the scene. 

Tribute - Simona Matukytnaite's family have paid tribute to their 'happy' and 'kind' daughter Tribute - Simona Matukytnaite's family have paid tribute to their 'happy' and 'kind' daughter (Image: Essex Police) Taiwo gave a fake name and 0.2g of cocaine to a witness who stopped to help, and officers who later accompanied him to hospital reported that his eyes were “glassy”.

He also refused to take a drugs and alcohol test.

The other victim, Elize Soper, who was in the back seat of the car, suffered serious injuries as well as the “trauma” of losing her best friend.

She is still receiving treatment for her arm and back three years later.

In a victim impact statement, Elize wrote: “I don’t even know where to start trying to explain how much of an impact this has had on my life.

“I can’t explain how much I miss her.”

Elize sees carers daily and is “depressed” about being unable to work.

“I have no choice but to live with this for the rest of my life,” she added.

Taiwo, 26, of Halbutt Street, Dagenham, admitted causing death by dangerous driving, causing serious injury by dangerous driving, and possessing a controlled class A drug.

He was sentenced today to a total of ten years and six months in prison and was also disqualified from driving for 11 years and three months and will need to pass an extended driving test.

Jailed - David Taiwo gave a fake name to people at the scene and refused to take drugs or alcohol tests. Jailed - David Taiwo gave a fake name to people at the scene and refused to take drugs or alcohol tests. (Image: Essex Police) Simona’s mother paid tribute to her, saying: “This tragic loss has been made considerably more painful due to the driver not admitting liability nor showing any remorse to the loss of our daughter.

“Simona was a happy, outgoing and kind person.

“She would enter a room and light it up with her smile and voice.

“She was my daughter and best friend.

She continued: “The actions of the driver have abruptly ended my beautiful girl’s life and ended the dreams of her having a family and destroyed my future memories with her.

“She was to me and her father an only child and to grandma an only grandchild.

“In one night, our lives were broken in thousand pieces.

“Close friends and family have been trying to direct us to find purpose for life again, as losing child is an immeasurable loss.

“She will always be loved and remembered by family.”