HGV driver who caused fatal collision with veteran car while on mobile phone jailed for 20 months

An HGV driver has been jailed for 20 months after he collided with a veteran car that had mistakenly been driven on to a motorway.

Michael Black was found guilty of causing death by careless driving following the collision on the M23 during the annual London to Brighton Veteran Car Run in 2019.

Guildford Crown Court heard how the trucker was driving near Merstham after having collected a load from the northbound carriageway of the motorway.

Shortly after making a U-turn onto the southbound carriageway, his lorry struck the rear of a Knox Model C car, causing both the driver and the passenger to be thrown from the vehicle.

Read more

• HGV driver who collided with veteran car on motorway found guilty of causing death by careless driving
• Lorry driver who crashed into millionaire veteran car driver didn’t know tapping a mobile while driving was illegal, court told

Ronald Carey, 80, suffered fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene.

His wife Billi had to be air-lifted to hospital with suspected life-threatening injuries.

The couple had travelled from Canada to take part in the car run and during the event, Carey had mistakenly taken the slip road for the M23 as opposed to the designated route of the A23.

Analysis of Black’s mobile phone subsequently showed a phone call was in progress at the time of the collision.

Black was also banned from driving for 22 months.