Two drivers have been sentenced for their part in a crash near the Dartford Crossing which led to the death of a 46-year-old man.

At 5.10am on Tuesday March 1 last year, 46-year-old Mark Sharp was driving along the coastbound carriageway of the A2 when his grey Nissan Micra was involved in a collision just before the slip road for the M25 and he came to a stop in lane two.

He put on his hazard lights and called emergency services but remained in his car. Several other vehicles were then immediately in collision at the scene.

A short time later, aware of the lane closures ahead due to digital signs along the carriageway issuing warning messages, approaching vehicles were slowing down to negotiate their way into lane one past the incident.

However 63 -year-old Stuart Lomas, of Upper Wickham Lane in Welling, had been travelling in the second lane and his red Ford Focus collided with Mr Sharp’s car, causing it to move into the third lane. 

Two seconds later, Ahmed Mohamed, 28, of Ann Street, Woolwich in Plumstead, approached in a Qashqai at speed and collided into Mr Sharp’s car. 

Following the collision with Lomas and Mohamed, Mr Sharp sustained multiple injuries and passed away at the scene. 

Tests on Mohamed’s blood showed he had 6.4 micrograms of cannabis per litre of blood.

The legal limit is 2 micrograms.

At Maidstone Crown Court on Monday 26 June 2017, Stuart Lomas pleaded guilty to one count of careless driving.

He was sentenced the following day to six penalty points, fined £375 and ordered to pay £250 court costs. 

Ahmed Mohamed admitted causing death by careless driving whilst over the prescribed limit of drugs. Aggravating features which were reflected in his sentence, were the use of a mobile phone at time of the collision and excess speed. 

He was sentenced to four years and 11 months imprisonment and given a five-year driving ban to begin upon his release.

Senior investigating officer, Sergeant Chris Wade of the Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said: "Both of these drivers had been driving in the second lane, and if they had been travelling in lane one - as per Highway Code guidance - like many cars before them, they could have both passed the crashed cars without incident. 

"When the collision was first reported, warning messages were posted on digital messaging signs on the carriageway to make approaching drivers aware of the collision ahead and that lanes two and three were closed.

"Lomas and Mohamed would have had time to see the signs and react to that information and have either failed to notice them or chose to disregard them. 

"Regardless of whether you drive the same stretch of road daily or not, drivers need to remain alert that these incidents can occur at any time, anywhere, and to anyone, and complacency and lack of concentration can - and does -  lead to tragic consequences. 

"My thoughts are with Mr Sharp’s family who have shown the utmost dignity and understanding in what has been a very prolonged and distressing case for them, and I thank them for their support throughout."