Driver gets six years after three fatalities
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by Cherry Anthony • A Lorry driver who worked himself to exhaustion and caused a pile-up which killed three people has been jailed for six years.
Ronald Kallaway, of Station Road, Hemyock, Devon, pleaded guilty to three counts of causing death by dangerous driving when he appeared at Basildon Crown Court last week.
Prosecutor John Cooper told the court that in the 39hr 30min preceding the incident Kallaway had a maximum of 8hr 45min rest, in three separate breaks. He had pulled the fuse of his tachograph.
Kallaway, a self-employed driver contracted by TDG Williams Distribution of Bridgwater, from whom he rented a trailer, was driving his Scania artic along the Al2 Brentwood bypass when the accident happened on 10 December last year.
One lane of the dual carriageway was closed because of road works. It was a dry night. The road was unlit but visibility was said to be good.
But 51-year-old Kallaway. travelling at 48-50mph, failed to slow down, ran into the back of a car carrying two passengers and went on to cause the collision of another four vehicles. Three other drivers were injured; one of them later died.
Cooper told the court: "With the tachograph effectively switched off he was able to do any amount of unrecorded miles before re-setting the internal clocking and replacing fuel."
Defence counsel Matthew Scott said Kallaway had shown "genuine shock and remorse", shutting himself away and even contemplating suicide.