Bulgarian Man Sentenced to Over 10 Years in UK for Fatal Dangerous Overtake

A Bulgarian man living in the UK has been sentenced to 10 years and 9 months in prison for causing death by dangerous driving, alongside concurrent sentences of approximately five years for causing grievous bodily harm, according to the Bulgarian National Radio referencing the Mail Online.

The incident occurred on March 4, 2024, in Lincolnshire, when Assen Kurtev, 46, was involved in a hazardous overtaking maneuver on the wrong side of the road. The reckless move led to a head-on collision in the oncoming lane, resulting in the death of his wife, 39-year-old Stefka Mitkova, and injuries to four others.

Kurtev was driving a group of Bulgarian workers to their jobs at JZ Flowers, a prominent flower and plant company. Witnesses included Kiril and Galya Ribarov, passengers in the back seat, and Dimitar Dimitrov, who urged Kurtev to slow down. It emerged that Kurtev was speeding to make up for running about 25 minutes late to pick them up.

Kiril Ribarov described the overtaking attempt as “suicide” and “kamikaze driving.”

The collision involved Kurtev’s Opel Zafira and a Volkswagen Scirocco driven by 22-year-old Cameron Marshall, who sustained serious injuries.

The presiding judge noted that Kurtev could face automatic deportation after serving two-thirds of his sentence. Additionally, he received a five-year driving ban upon release.