Family pay tribute to woman killed in A16 crash near Spalding

A driver has been jailed after admitting dangerous driving following a two-car crash on the A16 near Cowbit in August 2024, Lincoln Crown Court heard. Mantas Kudrevicius, 32, was sentenced to four years and six months in prison over the collision on the south Lincolnshire road. The court heard he had been awake for about 18 hours before the crash and had driven on the wrong side of the road for around 30 seconds before the impact. Sentencing him at Lincoln Crown Court, Judge Catarina Sjolin-Knight said the only explanation for what happened was that Kudrevicius had fallen asleep at the wheel while driving at night. The judge said his driving had fallen far below the standard expected of a competent and careful driver. The court heard the collision happened on a dark, featureless stretch of the A16, with fatigue identified as a central factor in the case. Prosecutors said Kudrevicius had remained awake for a prolonged period before the incident, and the court accepted that tiredness was a significant issue in the events leading up to the crash. Because Kudrevicius admitted the charge, the case did not go to trial. The hearing instead focused on the circumstances leading up to the collision and the seriousness of the offence. Court material outlined that the consequences of the crash were extremely serious, but did not include further detail about the occupants of the other vehicle beyond the fact it was a two-car collision. No information was given in court indicating that the hearing included statements from relatives of anyone involved in the crash. The court summary also did not set out any additional orders, such as a driving disqualification or whether an extended re-test would be required before Kudrevicius could legally drive again. Judge Sjolin-Knight's remarks focused on the standard of driving involved and the conclusion that the defendant had fallen asleep. The prosecution case, as outlined in court, was that the defendant's fatigue led to the dangerous driving offence. His guilty plea meant the matter proceeded directly to sentence rather than a full trial with witnesses giving evidence. Only the facts stated during the sentencing hearing were outlined in the court summary. The case, heard in Lincoln, centred on the events surrounding the collision and the reasons the vehicle crossed onto the wrong side of the road. The hearing formed part of the Crown Court's handling of serious road traffic cases from across Lincolnshire. This report is limited to what was said in court. It does not include any material outside the legal proceedings. The Lincoln Post has not independently verified these claims.