HGV driver jailed and hit with a £5,185 fine after cops spot safety shambles on A406
Sharp-eyed officers catch driver’s shocking safety breaches
Maciej Karczewski, 51, was pulled over by Roads and Transport Policing Command officers on Leeside Road, Haringey, around 3pm on Saturday, 26 September. The lorry had a missing offside mirror, a huge load of 28 pallets of alcohol unsecured, no MOT on the trailer, and his tachograph showed he’d broken rules on driving hours without rest.
Fined on the spot, then makes a daring escape
Karczewski was slapped with a £1,500 penalty fine on the spot but claimed he couldn’t pay. His vehicle was immobilised. When officers returned the next day, he wasn’t home. Worse, he’d stolen the immobiliser to make off, vanishing without a trace.
Quick intel leads to arrest at Port of Dover
Thanks to swift intelligence, cops tracked the lorry heading to the south-east coast. Officers at Port of Dover arrested Karczewski as he queued for a ferry. The lorry was seized, and he was hauled back to London for questioning.
Courts hit driver hard with jail time and ban
Karczewski pleaded guilty to six road offences and theft for ripping off the immobiliser device at Bromley Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, 27 September. Despite his request for leniency after 15 years as a professional driver, he was fined £5,185, jailed for 56 days, and banned from driving for a year.
Sergeant Rob Beckers, Commercial Vehicle Unit, RTPC, said: “The theft of an immobiliser is rare, and magistrates handing out jail time alongside such a hefty fine shows how seriously offences like this are taken. We’re glad to work with Kent colleagues to bring this to justice, hoping it sends a clear warning to others.
“A missing wing mirror might sound minor, but it leaves a dangerous blind spot, putting cyclists, motorcyclists, and pedestrians at risk. The unsecured heavy load was another ticking time bomb on the road.”
“We’re committed to cracking down on illegal HGV activity and pushing for tough penalties to keep everyone safe on our roads.”
