29/08/2013

Texting Lorry Driver Jailed Over Crash Deaths

A 44-year-old lorry driver has been jailed over the deaths of a couple killed when his lorry toppled over as he read a text message on his phone.

Ethen Roberts, of Immingham, North East Lincolnshire, was jailed for five years and three months for the deaths of Mark and Tamsie McHale, who died when his lorry hit their car, jackknifed and toppled over crushing the car on the M62 in West Yorkshire last year.

Analyse revealed that Roberts had received a text message 1 minute and 16 seconds before the collision and that Roberts had exchanged over 100 messages with the same recipient in the three days leading up to the crash, all at times when the tachograph in Roberts lorry showed the vehicle was being driven.

Roberts pleaded guilty to two counts of causing death by dangerous driving.

(MH)

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