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Driver fell asleep before striking six cars
Page 23
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A DRIVER who ploughed into six cars when he fell asleep has been jailed for 12 months and been banned from driving for six years, after which he will have to take an extended retest.
He admitted he had not been getting proper rest because he slept in his cab to save money.
Wouter Kirstein, who was originally from South Africa, but now lives in Co Tipperary had been sent to the Crown Court for sentence after pleading guilty to dangerous driving before Chester Magistrates.
Prosecuting, Simon Parry told the Crown Court that there was a line of stationary and slow-moving traffic on the A483, and that Kirstein had ploughed into the back of them at 45mph. The tachograph confirmed Kirstein had started driving that day at 9.15am and that he had taken a break between 11.25am and 2,30pm.
However, because he wanted to send as much money as possible to his family in South Africa, he had been sleeping in the cab of the lorry and had not been getting sufficient quality sleep. During a police interview, Kirstein admitted falling asleep at the wheel.
Six people were taken to hospital with whiplash and compression injuries, but were later released. Defending, Ceri Evans said Kirstein had never had any accidents before, and felt remorse and shock over what happened.
He had taken the required rest of 48 hours at Oswestry after he had picked up a pharmaceutical load for delivery via Holyhead.