Serious Injury Lawyers Urge Drivers To Take Road Safety Seriously

The lorry driver who caused a crash that left a mother and three children dead by using his mobile phone behind the wheel has been sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Tomasz Kroker, 30, collided with stationary traffic as he used his phone, killing Tracey Houghton, 45, her sons Ethan and Joshua, and her partner’s daughter Aimee.

The lorry driver was sentenced to 10 years in prison and Judge  Maura McGowan said his attention had been so poor he "might as well have had his eyes closed" after hearing he was scrolling through his music selection at the time of the incident and had barely looked at the road for almost a kilometre.

Two other people travelling in other cars waiting in the traffic were also seriously injured due to the severity of the impact.

The court heard that an hour before the pile-up, Kroker had signed a declaration to his employer, promising he would not use his phone at the wheel.

Claire Newstead, an expert serious injury lawyer at Irwin Mitchell, who specialises in road accident claims, said: 

Expert Opinion

“This incident was described by the judge as the most horrific she had ever seen and it shows the tragic and devastating consequences a lack of concentration and attention behind the wheel can have.

“This incident took the lives of four people, left others seriously injured and left two families having to deal with the tragedy of losing loved ones. These families must live with the consequences of someone else’s decision for the rest of their lives.

“Using a mobile phone behind the wheel can have tragic consequences, as this incident shows, and it is absolutely imperative all road users take their own safety, and the safety of others, seriously when they get behind the wheel.” Claire Newstead - Partner

Brake, the road safety charity, is calling for a full review of charging, sentencing and guidelines with its Roads to Justice campaign.