Driver killed toddler while watching TikTok videos

A man who killed a toddler when he crashed into a stationary car while watching Tiktok videos on his phone has been jailed for 11 years and three months.

Lincoln Crown Court heard Hristo Iliev, 32, spent several minutes looking at clips on the social media platform before smashing into the back of another vehicle at the Holdingham roundabout on the A17, near Sleaford.

Chloe Baker was travelling home from an after-school club with her 20-month-old son, Finley, when Iliev's Volkswagen struck her car.

The force of the impact shunted her car forward into another stationary vehicle, leaving Finley unresponsive and another child in her car unconscious for four minutes, the court heard.

Bulgarian national Iliev, of Hide Close, Boston, previously pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving on 19 March 2025.

The father-of-three also pleaded guilty to a second charge of causing serious injury to Chloe Baker by dangerous driving.

In a victim impact statement, Finley's mother, a teaching assistant, described her son as "her beautiful baby boy" who did not deserve to die because of Iliev's reckless choices.

"If only we had known his first birthday was the only one we would celebrate we would have filled it with bikes," she said.

"What happened on our journey home is something I will never get over.

"Mr Iliev stole his whole life and from us."

Following the crash, the toddler was airlifted to hospital where his life support was withdrawn two days later.

Finley's father, Daniel, told the court how the decision to withdraw Finley's life support was one no parent should have to make.

"It has altered us as people forever," he said.

"We don't sleep for more than a few hours a night."

Iliev had previously denied using his phone and claimed to have maintained a safe distance.

However, Jeremy Janes, prosecuting, told the court: "That simply was not true.

"His phone was seized and ultimately that gave up the best evidence of what caused this collision."

Analysis of the phone showed that in the seven minutes before the crash Iliev had briefly watched the Apple TV app and unlocked the device on at least two occasions to watch TikTok, partially viewing at least six videos.

Passing sentence, Judge Simon Hirst told Iliev: "You lied to the police when you denied using your phone.

"The reason you did not notice the roundabout approach, Mrs Baker braking, Mrs Baker stopping, is because you were using your phone to watch videos."

Iliev, who followed the hearing via a Bulgarian interpreter, was also banned from driving for ten and half years.

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