Driver is fined for M1 fatality
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by Stuart Ellis • A truck driver who killed a man after allowing his truck to drift on to the hard shoulder of the MI, has been banned from driving for six months.
Paul Pipes, a 41-year-old driver of a Mercedes tractive unit and three-axlecl trailer, was also fined £250 with £50 costs by magistrates at Alfreston, Derbyshire. He admitted careless driving. His solicitor, Patrick Booth, said he had been traumatised by the 28 September tragedy and had not worked since the accident.
The crash happened as Stephen Gee, 40, of Dronfield, North Derbyshire, was transferring holiday luggage to his car after a car taking his mother and father-in-law to East Midlands Airport had broken down south of junction 29.
The articulated lorry ran off the road at 05:00hrs and struck both cars and Gee. He died at the scene from multiple injuries.
"Mr Pipes was unable to give any explanation for the accident and said his vehicle had pulled to the left shortly before impact. No defects were found on the lorry which had been serviced recently," said Steve James, prosecuting.
Patrick Booth, for Pipes, said he had not worked excessive hours and had taken proper breaks to ensure he was as fresh and alert as possible.
He asked the bench not to ban him from the road as his family's livelihood depended on him returning to driving.
Magistrates told Pipes his fine had been considerably reduced because of his limited income and his early guilty plea. He had previously held a clean driving licence.