A driver has been jailed after his heavy goods vehicle (HGV) ploughed into a car on the M58 killing a father of two sat in stationary traffic.

Neil Platt was driving his HGV from Dumfries in Scotland to Liverpool on the M58 near to Skelmersdale in May last year.

Ahead of him, traffic had slowed to a stop and Danny Aitchison, who had picked up his Hyundai Kona, a company car, from a garage in Blackpool, was driving home. He was on the phone to his partner, using a hands-free device, when the call cut off abruptly.

Platt, who initially told police he had never touched his phone, failed to see the queue of traffic and crashed into Aitchison’s car which had been stationary for around a minute.

Aitchison was killed instantly as his car which was forced into the rear of a second, stationary HGV, setting the Kona on fire. Emergency services arrived on scene, where Daniel was sadly pronounced dead.

Platt was travelling at 54mph before the collision, only braking 35 metres ahead of Aitchison’s car. In-cab footage prior to the collision shows him reaching to touch his phone, scrolling on a number of social media applications. Seconds before the collision he was using the ‘X’ app on his phone.

Platt was spoken to in the back of a police car immediately after the incident, where he told officers that he only touched his phone to check his journey time.

He maintained in interview, in a prepared statement that he only looked at his phone to check the sat nav.

An investigation found that Platt had continually accessed the apps WhatsApp, Facebook, ‘X’ and TikTok, on his journey and in the lead up to the collision.

He only looked up at the road ahead fleetingly for the 45 seconds that he was interacting with his phone.

Platt (pictured below), 43, of Daniel Close, Bootle, Merseyside, was subsequently charged with causing death by dangerous driving.

He pleaded guilty at Preston Crown Court and on Friday (September 19) he was sentenced to 10 years in prison. He was also disqualified from driving for 13 years and 8 months and will be subject to an extended driving test once passed.

In a prepared statement read to the court, Aitchison’s partner Kerry, who is also mum to his two children, Ella, 17 and 10-year-old Jack, said: “When Danny was killed, I was on the phone to him, we were having a normal conversation about daily life, we used to speak on the phone regularly throughout the day.

“When he was hit the phone went off immediately. I thought his battery had run out of charge, I continually tried to call him back without success.

“I heard there had been a crash on the M58 motorway, I assumed Danny was therefore stuck in the traffic with no charge on his phone battery. I never thought at that time that he was involved in it or had come to any harm.”

She ended her statement with: “Danny was in my life for 23 years; he knew everything about me, and we did everything together. He was the one I was meant to be with and now the children have also lost their dad.

“I feel angry that he has lost his life in such a way especially as he was coming home from work. He didn’t do anything wrong – he was just coming home to me and the kids. I loved Danny with all my heart and life will never be the same again.”

Their daughter Ella also provided a victim impact statement. She said: “When my dad died, I was one week into my GCSE’s. On the night of the (May) 16th, I had run out of flashcards and had a chemistry exam the next day.

“It was later in the evening when I had called my dad from my nans and instantly, he was up in the car in a pair of sliders on the way to Asda. He was able to get the last stack of flashcards.”

She continued: “I haven’t written on them flashcards since, I didn’t want to see them run out. There are times when life has gotten difficult, with moments where I think ‘I just want my dad.’”

She added: “Life has never been the same since he died. He was a good man, driven by family and a pure love of life. Even at a funeral, he could bring it to life and offer a proper commemoration to who they were.

“He was special, and he let everyone else know they were too. When I read my part of the eulogy, and looked to the people paying respects, the crowds that couldn’t all fit through the door, I looked upon all the lives he had touched, and I hope for justice to who he was, like he honoured everyone else.

“There is a death of all things since last year; what was and what could have been – the memories never made and plans never fulfilled.

“You didn’t mean to kill my dad, and all that died alongside him, but you must have known your actions could have killed someone.”

DS Matthew Davidson, from Lancashire Police’s serious collision investigation unit, said that the family had shown “exceptional strength”, especially his two children, who have suffered an “unimaginable loss, and have shown such bravery throughout proceedings”.

He added: “I know, from the way that his family have spoken about him, that Danny was a much-loved man, who was well respected in his community. He was simply on his way home from work to his family – a journey that many of us make daily.

“Danny got in his car that day, with the intention of making it home safely. Neil Platt, whose job was to drive a heavy goods vehicle got into his cab and knowingly scrolled mindlessly on his phone as he was driving.

“I don’t doubt that Platt knew the devastation his actions could have caused. The dangers of using your phone whilst driving is so often spoken about, yet Platt recklessly ignored it. His selfish decision took the life of a father, partner, brother and son.” 

Davidson said he wanted to send a message to anyone who thinks it is acceptable to use their mobile phone whilst driving. “Let me make it clear. It is not ok. It is dangerous, it is selfish, and it takes lives,” he warned.

“If you are someone who thinks it’s ok to check their phone whilst driving, whether it is in a phone holder or not, I hope this serves as a reminder to you.

“Next time you get in a car, you’re travelling, and you reach for your phone, I want you to think of Danny. Think of his children, his partner, his mum and his loved ones, and remember that you could also so easily cause this level of devastation, all for the sake of checking your social media.”

Source: Fleet News