A DRIVER who caused the death of a woman and injured two people in a head-on crash on the A69 has been jailed for six years.

Viorel Grancea (31) of no fixed address, had only been in the UK two weeks when he caused the crash on August 20.

Grancea, from Romania, has been convicted of 13 different non-motoring offences across seven different jurisdictions in Europe since 2005.

Appearing at Newcastle Crown Court on October 10, the court heard that Grancea had pulled into the westbound carriageway of the Haydon Bridge bypass to overtake a tractor and a car.

However, he failed to return to his lane, and hit a car travelling the opposite direction “at a terrifying combined speed”.

The crash killed Grancea’s front seat passenger, 29-year-old Denis-Alexandra Radvan, and caused serious injuries to another woman in his car, Julia Mena, and the 62-year-old driver of the other car, Victoria Oliver.

A victim impact statement from Miss Radvan’s mother was read out in court.

“The death of my only child will always be, for me, an unspeakable tragedy. I would like to believe some day her loss will become a terrible memory, but the agony of never hearing my daughter calling me mama again will haunt me forever,” it read.

Grancea had already pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving, two counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving, causing death by driving while uninsured, causing death by driving while unlicensed, and driving while uninsured and otherwise than in accordance with a licence.

As well as the prison sentence, Grancea was given a driving ban for eight years and nine months.

Sentencing, Judge Tim Gittins said: “It will be for others to look at why you were permitted to enter and remain in this country given your criminal record. It will be for others to decide whether you are deported when you are released.”