A British truck driver who was scrolling through social media behind the wheel when he plowed into a car, killing a father of two, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Neil Platt, 43, admitted to causing death by dangerous driving in connection with the May 2024 crash that claimed the life of 46-year-old Danny Aitchison, according to Lancashire Constabulary.
Aitchison had been stuck in traffic in Skelmersdale, Lancashire, and was chatting with his longtime partner, Kerry, on a hands-free call as he made his way home. Suddenly, the line went dead. Moments later, Platt—who was driving a truck toward Liverpool—smashed into Aitchison’s stationary Hyundai at 54 mph, killing him instantly. The impact pushed the car into another truck before it burst into flames.
Police later discovered that instead of paying attention to the road, Platt had been looking at multiple apps, including Facebook, WhatsApp, TikTok, and X. Dash cam footage showed he only glanced at the road “fleetingly” during the 45 seconds he was distracted, and some of the content he viewed was pornographic.
In court, Judge Ian Unsworth KC blasted Platt, calling him a “multi-ton accident waiting to happen” with an “arrogant and selfish attitude to driving.”
For Aitchison’s family, the loss has been devastating. Kerry, his partner of 23 years, said they had been talking about everyday life just before the crash. “He was the one I was meant to be with and now the children have also lost their dad,” she said.
Their daughter Ella, then 15, shared that her father had promised to bring home flashcards to help her study for a major chemistry exam the next day. “I haven’t written on the flashcards since, I didn’t want to see them run out,” she told the court. “There are times when life has gotten difficult, with moments where I think, ‘I just want my dad.’”
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Ten years only
10 years? That’s it?!