‘Distracted’ motorway death crash driver jailed

ALORRY driver who ploughed into a broken down car on the motorway, killing a passenger, after being ‘distracted’ by his radio has been jailed.

Phillip Moore, of Cook Road, Kingsway, was sentenced to three-anda-half years in prison at Stafford Crown Court for his involvement in a crash on the M6 on June 2, 2015.

At around 4.40pm that afternoon Moore, 56, was driving his DAF articulated large goods vehicle along the M6 southbound carriageway, just after junction 15 near Stoke, when he entered the hard shoulder and hit the rear of a VW Sharan that was stationary, having broken down.

The driver of the VW had got out of his vehicle and was on the phone to the emergency services at the time but his 70-year-old disabled partner, Brenda Howe from Cheltenham, had remained in the vehicle.

The impact of the LGV into the back of the VW shunted it forwards and down the embankment.

Ms Howe was ejected from the vehicle and fatally injured.

She was pronounced dead at the scene.

The court heard that Moore stated he had been distracted by changing a setting on his radio and during that time drifted into the hard shoulder with catastrophic consequences.

He had pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to causing the death of Ms Howe by dangerous driving, and was sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison and banned from driving for four-and-a-half years.

Sgt Richard Moors, from Staffordshire Police, said: “As we have seen today even a momentary lapse of concentration, however brief, can end with tragic results.

“I would implore drivers to remain focused on their journey and not do anything which could distract them.

“I hope today’s sentencing will help Brenda’s family move forward.” ●●Lorry driver Phillip Moore was sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison at Stafford Crown Court for causing death by dangerous following this crash (circled in red) on the M6 in Staffordshire last June