A young motorist who killed a 68-year-old father when he crashed into the back of his car while trying to replay a song on Spotify has been sentenced to two years and eight months in a young offenders' institution.
Ryan Richardson, now 20, admitted causing death by dangerous driving after the collision on the M62 in February 2025. He was also banned from driving for six years and ordered to take an extended retest before he can drive legally again.
Crash on the M62
Hull Crown Court heard Richardson was driving a Toyota Yaris eastbound between junctions 37 and 38, near Howden and North Cave, at about 4.40pm on February 26, 2025. He struck the back of a Toyota Aygo that was queuing behind two other cars because of roadworks, with warning signs about delays on the approach.
Richardson was travelling at 59mph at the moment of impact. The collision shunted the Aygo into the car in front, which then hit the next vehicle. The 68-year-old driver of the Aygo died at the scene. The driver of the next car and his wife suffered minor injuries, while the driver furthest ahead was uninjured.
Phone distraction
In police interview, Richardson said he was distracted by his mobile phone, which was in a cradle, as he had been using a Spotify app to play music and was rewinding a song at the time of the crash.
Robert Stevenson, prosecuting, outlined the circumstances. David Godfrey, mitigating, said references for Richardson included one from his employer, and noted: "At no point has he underestimated or undermined the significance of what he did that day. He has shown genuine remorse for what is an act that has changed the lives of a family forever."
Richardson wrote a letter expressing his "selfish actions" had tragically resulted in an innocent person losing his life, and said: "I am genuinely sorry for what I have done." Mr Godfrey added: "He has come prepared for custody and he has accepted that."
Sentencing remarks
Judge John Thackray KC said of the victim: "He was much loved. It's evident from the personal statements of his wife and daughter that he was a wonderful husband and father." He told Richardson, of Brough, East Yorkshire: "You ended a life and you have brought lifelong grief and misery to his family. At a critical point of your journey that day, you allowed yourself to be distracted by using your telephone whilst it was in a cradle."
He added: "No sentence I can impose can bring him back. No sentence I can impose can undo the damage that you have done. I accept that there is genuine, sincere remorse here."
Richardson, who had been on bail, was sent to a young offenders' institution for two years and eight months and received the driving ban.
