Overview
- A private patient-transport ambulance driven by Julie Ijere veered across the broken white lines on the B1506 on December 19, 2023 and struck an oncoming Volkswagen Golf, and two people died of their injuries at Addenbrooke’s Hospital on December 21, 2023.
- On August 5, 2026 Cambridge Crown Court sentenced Ijere to 20 months in prison suspended for 30 months, disqualified her from driving for five years, ordered 80 hours of unpaid work, a 15-day rehabilitation programme, court costs and a victim surcharge, and required an extended driving retest before she may drive again.
- Suffolk Police and court reporting say dashcam and CCTV show the ambulance crossed into the opposing lane but investigators found no evidence that phone use, alcohol, drugs or vehicle defects caused the departure from lane control.
- Ijere told officers she briefly blacked out and had been prescribed sertraline, though court material said there was no evidence a recent dose impaired her driving, and victim personal statements at sentencing described ongoing distress and frustration at the lack of a clear explanation.
- The case highlights questions about private patient transport safety and driver fitness checks and could prompt reviews of operator protocols and medical fitness rules for non-emergency ambulance drivers.