A van driver has admitted killing two people after driving the wrong way down the M25 following a police chase.
Barancan Nurcin, 22, was driving a Citroen Dispatch which crashed into three other vehicles on Sunday February 4.
Zoe Hawes, 39, and Fahad Dek, 23, died in the collision, which left a portion of the motorway between junctions 22 and 25 in Hertfordshire closed for hours.
Ms Hawes had been heading away on holiday to celebrate her 40th birthday.
In a tribute, her heartbroken relatives said she was ‘the heart of our blended family’, adding in a statement: ‘She was a very much loved mum, step mum, sister, aunt and lovely young nanna. She was a friend to many.
‘She was very much looking to go on holiday to celebrate her 40th with her husband. Sadly a holiday and birthday she didn’t get to celebrate.
‘We are all trying to pull together as a family and are devastated to lose Zoe in this tragic way.
‘We wouldn’t have changed her for the world and she leaves an enormous hole in our family that will never be filled.’
Mr Dek was a passenger in the van.
Detective Inspector Mark Fraser said: ‘Our thoughts remain with the victims’ families.
‘They have been through an unimaginable ordeal and we continue to provide them with any support they require. Nurcin caused the loss of two lives on that day but he has broken many more lives by his actions.
‘He can expect to spend a significant length of time behind bars.’
Nurcin admitted two counts of causing death by dangerous driving, four of causing serious injury by dangerous driving and additional charges of causing death while unlicensed and uninsured.
He will be sentenced on May 31.
The circumstances leading up to the collision are being investigated by the Independent Office for Police Conduct as officers in a marked vehicle had been in pursuit of the van shortly before the collision.
The pursuit was quickly abandoned as the officers assessed that the risk of continuing was too high.
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