An Albanian drug dealer who killed a bus driver and injured 14 others in a ‘catastrophic’ high-speed crash has today been jailed for more than seven years.
Victim Kenneth Matcham, 60, was ‘ejected’ from the single-decker bus he was driving after it was struck by Dorjan Cera’s car in Orpington, south-east London, shortly after 10pm on October 31 last year.
The impact caused the bus to hit a second single-decker travelling in the opposite direction on Sevenoaks Road, leaving multiple passengers injured.
Cera, 20, had no insurance or licence at the time, and was driving a black Skoda Octavia he had hired using false documentation, the Old Bailey heard today.
Prosecutor Nathan Rasiah said the case involved an ‘appalling piece of driving’, which had ‘catastrophic consequences’.
One man died and 14 others were injured following the horror smash in Orpington, south east London last year
Dorjan Cera, 20, who admitted causing death by dangerous driving, had no insurance or licence at the time, and was driving a black Skoda Octavia he had hired using false documentation, the Old Bailey heard today
Victim Kenneth Matcham, 60, pictured with son Ryan and daughter Shelley, was ‘ejected’ from the single-decker bus he was driving after it was struck by Cera’s car
He said: ‘The defendant drove his car at speed across a junction with a main road and collided with a bus.
‘The impact of the collision forced the bus into the wrong lane, causing it to collide with another bus travelling in the opposite direction.
‘Mr Kenneth Matcham, the driver of the first bus, was ejected from the vehicle as a result of the collision and died from his injuries, and a number of the passengers suffered serious injuries.’
Cera pleaded guilty in June to causing Mr Matcham’s death by dangerous driving.
He also admitted seven further counts of causing injury by dangerous driving, being unlicensed and uninsured, and possession of an identity document with improper intent.
Grandfather-of-seven Mr Matcham had been driving the R11 service which was carrying six passengers when his vehicle was hit.
Mr Rasiah said Cera was travelling at a ‘constant speed’ of between 41mph and 44mph along The Avenue as he approached the junction’s ‘give way’ line before crashing.
Seven people suffered ‘serious’ injuries, including passenger Paul Wassell, who broke his spine in ‘three or four places’ when he was ‘ejected’ from the bus, the court heard.
The force of impact caused the R11 service to hit another single-decker bus, which was running the 358 route, causing injuries to some of its passengers.
Cera, whose car also hit the second bus, was found in the driver’s seat, with the airbags deployed, by a firefighter.
The impact of the crash caused the bus to hit a second single-decker travelling in the opposite direction on Sevenoaks Road, leaving multiple passengers injured
Mr Rasiah said Cera was travelling at a ‘constant speed’ of between 41mph and 44mph along The Avenue as he approached the junction’s ‘give way’ line before crashing
After regaining consciousness, he ‘identified himself falsely’ to police officers, Mr Rasiah said.
He tested positive for cocaine during a roadside drugs wipe test, but a subsequent blood test was negative, the court heard.
Local resident Ross Philpott, 42 said at the time: ‘There was a big smash and we heard a strange noise at about 10.10pm. It went on for a really long time. We went outside and it was carnage everywhere. It was like something out of a movie scene.
‘The guy who died I think was under the bus. There was nothing we could do. Some ladies came out and brought blankets and water. Most of the people involved were stuck in the bus and it was probably safer for them to be in there.
‘There was one guy talking on the phone who said he was thrown from the bus. He got away with bruised ribs, he was in shock. Another passenger kicked a window out of the bus to get out but most felt safe to stay on there.’
Cera was on licence at the time of the crash, having been sentenced to two years in detention in September 2018 for possession with intent to supply class A drugs, driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence and without insurance, and possession of false identity documents, the court was told.
In a victim impact statement, Mr Matcham’s daughter, Shelley Gardner, described her father as ‘the most amazing man you could have ever met’.
She said: ‘He was always my hero. I feel so privileged to have been part of his life.’
She previously revealed how her father had spoken to her on the phone just minutes before he was killed, asking if she had taken his grandchildren out trick or treating for Halloween.
Seven people suffered ‘serious’ injuries, including passenger Paul Wassell, who broke his spine in ‘three or four places’ when he was ‘ejected’ from the bus, the court heard
Cera, whose car also hit the second bus, was found in the driver’s seat, with the airbags deployed, by a firefighter
At the victim’s funeral, two double-decker London buses were driven in homage, with one bus sign reading ‘Kenneth Matcham hero bus driver’ while another said ‘Kenneth Matcham RIP’.
His coffin was donned with AC/DC, in a nod to his favourite band, and shire horses pulled floral tributes to the brave driver.
The funeral’s order of service had the band’s iconic lightning bolt on the front as another homage to the grandfather’s love for the group.
Mr Matcham’s family asked for donations in his memory to be made to the London Air Ambulance and more than £20,000 was raised.
In court, Paramjit Ahluwalia, mitigating, said Cera had been diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder and depressive episodes following the crash.
She said: ‘There is an evident level of remorse by this 20-year-old. He expressed ‘Every day I’m here in the prison, I am reminded of what I have done and I think about it every day.’
The court heard that Cera had arrived in the UK from Albania at the age of 15 and had unsuccessfully sought asylum since.
Sentencing Cera, of East Walk, Hillingdon, west London, Judge Wendy Joseph QC said: ‘I am entirely satisfied that driving at excessive speed towards the junction with a main road, on the wrong side of the carriageway and making no effort to slow, stop or make observations before entering the junction indicates a flagrant disregard for the rules of the road and an apparent disregard for the great danger being caused to others.’
Cera, who remained emotionless in the dock, was also banned from holding a driving licence for 11 years and four months.
A map details the scene of the crash in Sevenoaks Road, Orpington, south east London
A graphic shows how the horror pile-up emerged on the evening of October 31 last year
In a victim impact statement, Mr Matcham’s daughter, Shelley Gardner, described her father, picured, as ‘the most amazing man you could have ever met’
Acting Detective Inspector Richard Budd, from the Met’s Roads and Transport Policing Command, said: ‘Cera’s driving that night was beyond reckless, it was clearly extremely dangerous and resulted in many people being injured, and sadly one man losing his life.
‘Our investigation, supported by eye witness accounts, established that Cera had been driving at speed, entering a busy road on the wrong side of the road when he collided with the bus being driven by Mr Matcham; he had made no attempt to slow down or give-way.
‘When Cera spoke with officers at the scene, he provided false details – perhaps to later avoid responsibility – but his true identity was quickly established.
‘Today, he begins a prison sentence, having been left with no other option but to plead guilty.
‘Our thoughts remain with everyone who has suffered as a result of his actions.’