A father has admitted killing his 12-year-old son in a motorway crash after drinking all day. Matthew Rycroft, 36, pleaded guilty to manslaughter at Leeds Crown Court following the death of Callum Rycroft on the M62 in West Yorkshire on 5 August.
The court heard that Rycroft had been drinking at his parents' house in Huddersfield before driving home with his autistic son, despite pleas from his parents not to get behind the wheel. His parents followed him and called him, hearing Callum in the background saying: 'Dad … won’t stop.'
Witnesses saw Rycroft driving erratically before he crashed into a barrier on the M62. He then failed to negotiate a bend on a slip road near Cleckheaton, overturning his Audi Q5. Rycroft and Callum got out and crossed the motorway to the central reservation. They then tried to run back, and Callum was struck by an oncoming Toyota C-HR and died instantly.
Rycroft also pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and failing to provide a blood sample. Tom Neofytou of the Crown Prosecution Service said: 'His father’s insistence on driving whilst under the influence of alcohol is beyond comprehension. ... Callum paid the ultimate price for his father’s careless and criminal actions.'
Callum was autistic and had no speed awareness, the CPS noted. Rycroft will be sentenced at a later date.
