Lorry driver jailed for 10 years after using mobile phone and causing deaths of mother and three children
A lorry driver who was filmed checking his mobile phone while on a motorway has been jailed for 10 years after he drove the vehicle into a group of stationary vehicles killing four people in a car that was crushed by being shunted underneath lorry.
The court heard the driver, Tomasz Kroker, had been so distracted he barely looked at the road for almost a kilometre. Sentencing him, Judge Maura McGowan said his attention had been so poor he “might as well have had his eyes closed”. The crash took place in August.
Kate Goldsmith, whose daughter Aimee died in the crash, made a plea to all road users to learn the lessons from the case. “We urge you to make a personal commitment to stop using mobile phones while driving and make our roads safer for everyone” she said.
The court heard that an hour before the pile-up, Mr Kroker had signed a declaration to his employer, promising he would not use his phone at the wheel.
