Lorry Driver Jailed for 10 Years After Killing Man While Viewing Pornography on Phone
Skelmersdale, Lancashire – A lorry driver who was, "heavily distracted", by pornographic images on his phone seconds before ploughing into stationary traffic and killing a father-of-two has been jailed for 10 years.
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Neil Platt, 43, was sentenced at Preston Crown Court on Friday for causing the death of Danny Aitchison by dangerous driving. The court heard that Platt was scrolling on the social media platform X while driving his heavy goods vehicle (HGV) on the M58 near Skelmersdale on 17th May last year.
The fatal collision occurred just before 1pm on the westbound carriageway. Police had implemented a rolling roadblock due to reports of a pedestrian on the motorway, causing traffic to come to a halt. Platt, however, failed to notice the queue ahead.
Evidence revealed that as he approached the stopped vehicles, images of naked women appeared on his social media feed. Prosecutors stated he was, "heavily distracted", and only applied his brakes just 1.5 seconds before impact, when he was a mere 35 metres from Mr Aitchison's Hyundai Kona.
Platt’s HGV slammed into the back of the 46-year-old’s car, shunting it forward with such force that it was crushed against the rear of a tanker. Mr Aitchison's vehicle immediately exploded into flames on impact, and he was pronounced dead at the scene.
The court was told that Platt had been persistently looking at his phone during his three-hour journey from Dumfries.
In his sentencing remarks, the judge noted there was no evidence Platt was actively searching for pornography, but condemned his actions, stating he was, "distracted by doing something so mindblowingly stupid".
Stephen McNally, defending, said Platt, a family oriented HGV driver of 15 years, was, "genuinely remorseful", for the trauma he had caused and now, "hates himself". Mr McNally added that the case tragically demonstrated how, "not giving the road your undivided attention and concentration can have the most devastating consequences".
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Neil Platt, 43, was sentenced at Preston Crown Court on Friday for causing the death of Danny Aitchison by dangerous driving. The court heard that Platt was scrolling on the social media platform X while driving his heavy goods vehicle (HGV) on the M58 near Skelmersdale on 17th May last year.
The fatal collision occurred just before 1pm on the westbound carriageway. Police had implemented a rolling roadblock due to reports of a pedestrian on the motorway, causing traffic to come to a halt. Platt, however, failed to notice the queue ahead.
Evidence revealed that as he approached the stopped vehicles, images of naked women appeared on his social media feed. Prosecutors stated he was, "heavily distracted", and only applied his brakes just 1.5 seconds before impact, when he was a mere 35 metres from Mr Aitchison's Hyundai Kona.
Platt’s HGV slammed into the back of the 46-year-old’s car, shunting it forward with such force that it was crushed against the rear of a tanker. Mr Aitchison's vehicle immediately exploded into flames on impact, and he was pronounced dead at the scene.
The court was told that Platt had been persistently looking at his phone during his three-hour journey from Dumfries.
In his sentencing remarks, the judge noted there was no evidence Platt was actively searching for pornography, but condemned his actions, stating he was, "distracted by doing something so mindblowingly stupid".
Stephen McNally, defending, said Platt, a family oriented HGV driver of 15 years, was, "genuinely remorseful", for the trauma he had caused and now, "hates himself". Mr McNally added that the case tragically demonstrated how, "not giving the road your undivided attention and concentration can have the most devastating consequences".
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