An HGV driver caused catastrophic injuries to three people when he ploughed into the back of a queue of traffic on the A1 after suffering from possible "micro-sleeps". Alan Reeves lost concentration and smashed into the back of vehicles on the dual carriageway, near Stannington, in what was described as a "horror crash".
A court heard that the 46-year-old caused a domino effect involving four other vehicles and left one driver trapped and "sandwiched" between Reeves's lorry and a van for more than an hour. The victim, who was later resuscitated twice, was left hanging in the air by his seatbelt as firefighters fought to rescue him and take him to hospital.
Victim left permanently disabled
He suffered from a broken pelvis and hip, lacerations to his liver and spleen, multiple broken ribs, two broken teeth, cuts to his face, head, hand and arm, extensive bruising and multiple back injuries. He was also left suffering from serious mental health issues, including post traumatic stress disorder, which has left him permanently disabled.
Another driver suffered a broken leg, broken ribs and facial injuries, with the former requiring surgery to insert metal plates, and a third suffered a head injury and damage to his knee. A further family in the fourth car, a couple and their 19-month-old child, were also taken to hospital but had not suffered any serious injuries.
Lorry seen 'weaving'
Newcastle Crown Court heard that, in the lead up to the collision, which happened in an area of roadworks on the A1, Reeves's HGV had been observed "weaving" in his lane to the point that one motorist decided not to overtake him as he feared he was "distracted or falling asleep". During a 999 call after the collision, Reeves himself also admitted he may have closed his eyes for a "few seconds" in the moments prior, prosecutors said.
Claire Anderson, prosecuting, said Reeves had got up for work at 4am and had been on the road for eight hours when the accident happened, albeit he had taken the legally-required breaks. However, a judge said that the Army veteran must have known his concentration was wavering and he needed to stop. He may also have suffered from a series of "micro-sleeps" in the moments prior to the collision.
Judge Julie Clemitson said: "You passed indications to slow down and that there were work forces in the road. The road ahead was open and you would have had a clear view of the traffic ahead stopping and starting but, for some reason, you did not brake.
"Your vehicle didn't begin to decelerate until it was less than 30m away from impact. There are a number of reasons for that, one of which is you were suffering from micro-sleeps at the time.
"You spoke to a family at the scene and said you had been driving that long, you had tunnel-vision. You rang 999 and said you had possibly closed your eyes for a few seconds.
"That suggests you were suffering from sleepiness or suffering from a lack of awareness of the road around you. Clearly, you should have had a break and a cup of coffee.
"You hadn't and you didn't have a sufficient level of concentration to notice the stationary traffic ahead of you."
The court heard that Reeves was working for Rock Haulage when he was travelling from Scotland to Darlington on September 18 2023.
At around 12.30pm, he was driving southbound on the A1 at Stannington when he ploughed into the back of a queue of stationary traffic in an area of roadworks. He initially struck a Vauxhall Vivaro van, being driven by the first victim, which was forcibly pushed into a Ford Transit van in front.
The first victim was left "sandwiched" between Reeves's lorry and the Ford Transit, Mrs Anderson said. The second victim was the driver of the Transit. The third victim was the driver of a truck, which was struck by the Transit.
Mrs Anderson said a fourth car, a VW Golf containing a couple of 19-month-old child, was then hit by the truck. The prosecutor added: "The entire incident was caught on dash cam and photos of the aftermath of the vehicles show how catastrophic it was."
Victim left permanently disabled
The court was told that the first victim who had to be cut free after being trapped in his vehicle for one-and-a-half hours suffered the most serious injuries and spent time on the high dependency unit at the Royal Victoria Infirmary.
In a statement, he said he'd been left permanently disabled, was still taking pain killers on a daily basis was unable to work. He said: "I still keep getting flashbacks to the accident and to being in an ambulance and in A and E and I keep hearing someone saying 'We're losing him'.
"I had booked to go to Krakow in Poland to see a friend. Obviously, I couldn't go. I'm desperate to return to work but I don't know when I can. Emotionally, all of this has left me very depressed."
The victim also said he could now only walk short distances with a stick, so was left mainly housebound and isolated.
Antonia Adie, defending, said Reeves had no previous convictions, was traveling within the speed limit, had taken all the legally-required breaks from driving, had an unblemished driving record since his driving career started in 1999 and had served in the Army.
Ms Adie added: "The accident itself was truly devastating for all parties involved. While he was fortunate not to suffer physically he does feel the psychological effects for the damage he caused to all the parties involved.
"He has recently seen a significant decline in his own mental health. He is truly remorseful. This was a brief moment of dangerous driving."
Guilty plea
Reeves, a married dad-of-two from Beach View, in Boulmer, Northumberland, pleaded guilty to three counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving.
Giving Reeves a 30-month prison sentence, suspended for three years, Judge Clemitson said: "As a result of your offending, people were very badly hurt. In the case of [the first victim], his life has been profoundly affected by the consequences of your driving that day.
"I have listened carefully to [the first victim's] personal statement and I have looked to all the medical evidence. Nobody can fail to be moved by his statement.
"I recognise that any sentence I pass upon you today will not begin to relieve the pain and suffering he has suffered and continues to suffer."
Reeves was also banned from driving for two years, ordered to do an extended driving test and must do 250 hours of unpaid work.
