'Tragic and needless incident' Driver jailed for causing fatal M4 collision

A DRIVER has been jailed for causing the deaths of a mother and daughter after speeding in heavy rain during a storm with his own Tesla providing crucial damning evidence.

- Mathilde GRANDJEAN

Firas Zeineddine, of Bluebell Drive in Keynsham, was convicted because data from his own Tesla car recorded him driving at more than 90mph on the M4 during 2023's Storm Babet which brought strong winds and heavy rains to the UK.

The 46-year-old was jailed for 12 months at Swindon Crown Court yesterday after pleading guilty to two counts of causing the death by careless driving of Cheryl Woods, 61, and Sarha Smith, 40, Wiltshire Police said.

Zeineddine was driving a Tesla Model Y in the outside lane of the motorway in October 2023 when he lost control because of the surface water.

The aquaplaning caused him to smash into a lorry which then hit the car of Ms Woods, 61, and Ms Smith, 40, who had stopped on the hard shoulder because of an earlier crash, police said.

The lorry just missed an officer from National Highways who had stopped to help them on the motorway near Chippenham.