Boston motorist who caused death of toddler when he crashed into vehicle near Sleaford while using TikTok jailed for more than 11 years

Hristo Iliev, 32, of Hide Close, was sentenced at Lincoln Crown Court today (Thursday, June 11) after pleading guilty to causing death by dangerous driving and causing serious injury by dangerous driving in relation to the three-vehicle collision from last year.

Following the conclusion of the case, Lincolnshire Police provided the following summary of the incident and its investigation:

• At 4.45pm, on Wednesday, March 19, Iliev was driving east on the A17 towards Holdingham roundabout, near Sleaford, in a Volkswagen Passat, when he approached a queue of slow-moving traffic as it reached the roundabout. Stationary at the rear of the queue was a Kia Ceed, which was behind an Audi A5, as they too approached the roundabout.
• Iliev failed to react and brake for the cars ahead, and he ploughed into the back of the Kia, which in turn hit the Audi ahead. Twenty-month-old Finley Baker was seated in the rear nearside of the Kia, restrained in a rear-facing child seat that was attached with ISOFIX fixings. Finley was seriously hurt as a result of the collision and sadly died two days later from those injuries.
• The driver of the Kia, Chloe Baker, and her other son, who was aged eight at the time of the collision and also in the rear of the car, were taken to hospital for treatment. Chloe Baker received serious shoulder injuries in the collision, subsequently requiring major reconstructive surgery.
• Following the collision, Iliev was arrested and blood samples obtained for testing. Two mobile phones were also seized from Iliev for examination. The samples showed no traces of any drink or drugs in his system. Technical examinations of the vehicles involved found no issues that were contributory in the collision.

• The examination of the phones, however, found that in the seven minutes preceding the collision, both had been used. One of the two phones was being used to access TikTok and an Apple TV application. Evidence of video viewing, uploading and downloading was found. Crucially, in the moments before the collision occurred, the examination found that the TikTok application was in use and a video was playing.

• The investigation further established that the collision was solely due to the driving of Iliev and that none of the other vehicles involved could have done anything to avoid the collision occurring.

• In interview, Iliev provided a prepared statement to the officers and then went no comment to all further questions that were put to him.

Iliev, of Hide Close, Boston, was sentenced to 11 years and three months’ imprisonment. He was also banned from driving for a total of 10 years and six-and-a-half months and must take an extended re-test before being allowed to drive again.

During sentencing, the court was told that Iliev had previously received fixed penalties for speeding and for using his mobile phone while driving.

Det Sgt James Perring, from the force’s Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said: “This collision was due to the dangerous driving of Iliev when he selfishly paid no attention to his driving as he watched videos on his devices. Those actions cost a young toddler his life and seriously injured another, destroying lives in a way which can never be undone.

“The importance of concentration and not being distracted cannot be overstated. This was a wholly preventable collision, and I feel nothing but disappointment for the way he has so pointlessly destroyed lives. I would implore anybody thinking of behaving in the same way never to do so.”