A lorry driver whose dangerous driving demolished a broken down car on the hard shoulder of the A1 has been banned from the roads for three years.
Martin Griffiths, aged 25, of Newark, Lincolnshire, was also sentenced to nine months’ imprisonment suspended for one year after being found guilty of dangerous driving at York Crown Court on 24 September 2012.
Griffiths was summonsed to appear at court after his HGV wandered off the carriageway on the A1 at Kirk Deighton, near Wetherby, on 19 September 2011 before colliding with a Mazda 323.
The driver of the Mazda, who was looking for some tools in the boot of his car, had to hurdle the crash barrier to avoid being hit by the oncoming HGV which completely wrote his vehicle off.
Mr Griffiths’ mobile phone records when matched with his tachograph showed that he had been using his handset for texting and browsing the internet prior to the collision.
Traffic Constable Rob Roberts, of North Yorkshire Police, said:
Fortunately for the Mazda driver he saw the HGV coming just in time to get himself out of harm’s way.
Thankfully he was unhurt in the incident which could have been far, far worse.
As for Mr Griffiths, the roads will be a safer place for the next three years without him on them. I hope if he does get his licence back he will drive with a great deal more attention in the future.
The court ordered Mr Griffiths to retake his driving test when he has completed his ban. He is also required to carry out 300 hours’ unpaid work and pay £450 towards the prosecution costs.
