A paramedic who admitted causing the death of his colleague after the ambulance he was driving crashed into a cement lorry has been spared jail.

Alice Clark, 21, had been working in the role for two months before the tragic incident in January 2022.

Two years later, in January 2024, Edward Riding, also known as Zeke, pleaded guilty to causing her death by driving carelessly on the A21.

Today, Judge Julian Smith sentenced Riding to nine months in prison, suspended for 18 months.

Maidstone Crown Court heard how 45-year-old Riding, of Kemps Farm Road, Crowborough, was responding to an emergency when he was diverted and took the wrong turn. He hit a kerb which caused the ambulance to veer across the road into the back of a cement mixer.

Ms Clark was one of three paramedics travelling in the ambulance when it crashed. It was not taking a patient to hospital at the time.

The court heard Riding, who is an Australian national, had no endorsements or previous convictions on his licence but his colleagues had expressed concerns about his driving.

Daniel Stevenson, prosecuting, read out a statement from Calan Weller who worked with Riding from 2014 to 2018.

He said: “It was clear that he was very fast in his driving of ambulances. I felt unsafe with him, I was scared of Zeke’s driving, and I felt that I had no option but to raise this with a supervisor.

“I tried to approach Zeke and explain to him how I felt about his driving in that it wasn’t safe and that it was too fast. Unfortunately, his attitude was just ‘meh’ and he shrugged off any complaint that I had.”

Amy Berry also said she thought Riding was “showing off” in front of student paramedic Megan Kuhn.

Ms Kuhn, who was in the back of the ambulance when it crashed, suffered head injuries.

“I remember Zeke actually saying to me during the course of one of those drives that he wanted to make Megan turn as green as her uniform because she was a student paramedic. He was making a joke of it, laughing about it.”

She raised her concerns with a supervisor but due to work pressure it was not followed up further.

On the night of the crash, Riding was crewed with Alice Clark in the front of the ambulance and Megan Kuhn in the back.

The trio had been rerouted to an emergency in the New Ash Green area while they were travelling on the A21.

The ambulance passed the entrance of the layby travelling at 84mph at 8.15pm. A second later the telematics data first recorded braking activity whist the vehicle was travelling at 81mph.

The vehicle partially mounted the offside kerb and verge as it entered the slip road. It travelled across the offside verge before re-joining the road surface and collided with the corner of the parked Scania vehicle.

The ambulance then crossed the lay-by and struck the rear of the parked Volvo tanker.

The speed of the ambulance at the point of collision is likely to have been 52mph which was the last recorded speed from the ambulance telematics.

The collision entangled the vehicles, and trapped the occupants in the front of the ambulance.

A HGV driver was sat parked behind the Volvo vehicle at the time of the crash.

At 8.16pm he called 999 to report the crash, his vehicle had a dash cam facing forward that captured the collision.

Both Riding and Ms Clark were trapped in the ambulance.

The HGV driver parked in the layby approached the ambulance and asked what had happened.

Mr Stevenson read in his opening statement that Riding replied: “I f***** up”.

Ms Kuhn was able to exit the ambulance from the rear and she was transported to a local hospital to have her injuries (which included severe concussion) assessed.

She suffered a bleed on the brain and bruising on the right side of her arm, and down her left side.

The driver of the Volvo Tanker the ambulance crashed into, Mr Saunders, suffered a split to his left eyebrow and a swollen eye from hitting the dashboard and windscreen, a cut and a bruise to his left wrist, and bruising to his left knee and inner right ankle, as well as a torn ligament in the left side of his neck.

Riding was airlifted to Kings Hospital. He suffered rib fractures, a fracture/dislocation of the left hip joint, a closed left tibial fracture, a closed right patella fracture and a closed right fracture to the end of the tibia. He underwent several corrective operations and was in hospital for some time.

Ms Clark sustained catastrophic injuries and despite the efforts of the emergency services, including HEMS, she died at the scene.

When Riding was interviewed he provided a prepared statement in which he said: “We were travelling down the A21 with blue lights on but no sirens owing to the late hour and the dual carriageway being mostly empty.

“I have an isolated flash memory of yelling ‘we’re crashing’. I remember coming around entrapped in the ambulance.

“Alice’s back was towards me and she was panting for breath and not responding… I repeatedly asked Alice if she was still with me.

“She said, ‘Yes’ once, but her breathing remained laboured. Emergency services arrived and I was eventually extricated from the wreckage. I have driven that route on numerous occasions so cannot explain what led to the collision or how we came to be in that layby, and I do not wish to speculate. I therefore have nothing further to add.”

Defending, Oliver Renton, explained that Riding has no memory at all of incident and did wish to send his condolences to her family and friends but was told not to by SEACAmb.

A spokesperson for SECAmb said: “Our thoughts are with Alice’s family and everyone affected by this tragic incident.

“We welcome the conclusion of the court case but understand that is a very difficult time for all those affected. We will ensure support is available to any colleagues who require it.

“Mr Riding is suspended from the workplace and any next steps will be taken in line with our internal processes.”

Mr Renton said that Riding had refused to “evade responsibility”.

He read: “Zeke wishes he could trade places with Alice, her being alive would be a more positive outcome. Living with the knowledge that he took a life is incredibly hard to bear.

“His remorse is deeply felt.”

Judge Smith sentenced Riding to a nine-month prison sentence, reduced from 12 due to his early guilty plea, which is to be suspended for 18 months.

Riding has also been disqualified from driving for 15 months, which began in January.

The Judge said there was no need for an extended driving test to be ordered but Riding must pay £670 to the court, plus a £156 surcharge, within the next three months alongside 150 hours of unpaid work.

Judge Smith said: “He crashed and the consequences were dreadful.

“Alice’s death looms heavy on him and he has recognised the consequences of his actions.

“He does not need to be taught more than this tragic accident has already taught him.”

Detective constable Claire Fullagar of the serious collision investigation unit said: “Alice had only recently started her job as a qualified paramedic and was travelling as a front seat passenger in the ambulance when the collision happened.

“She tragically suffered catastrophic injuries, and our hearts go out to her loved ones and friends who have been left devastated by her death

“Whilst it is acknowledged that Edward Riding was responding to an emergency call, it must always be the responsibility of the driver to take account of circumstances, conditions and their surroundings, every time they get behind the wheel.

“A vehicle driven carelessly is a dangerous and deadly weapon and as this case shows a lapse in concentration can have tragic and appalling consequences.”