Van driver jailed after falling asleep at the wheel
The van, which he had put on cruise control, drifted onto the grass verge before colliding with the barrier
A 22-year-old driver has been jailed after seriously injuring his passenger in a single-vehicle collision after falling asleep at the wheel.
Haron James was handed a custodial sentence of two years and two months and disqualified from driving for more than three years when he appeared at Northampton Crown Court last month (August 26).
The court heard that in the early hours of Monday, November 4 last year, James was driving a white Merecedes Sprinter van back to Leicestershire from an exhibition in London via the A14.
Also in the van were three passengers. Two were travelling lawfully in the front with James in designated seats, while the third man was riding in the rear of the vehicle without a seat or seat belt.
At 2.30am as the van travelled westbound between junctions 11 and 10, near Cranford, James fell asleep and the van, which he had put on cruise control, drifted onto the grass verge before colliding with the barrier.
The force of the impact caused the passenger, who was in the rear of the van, to be thrown against an internal metal panel, which resulted in him being taken to hospital with serious head and neck injuries.
Following an investigation by Northamptonshire Police’s Serious Collision Investigation Unit, James told detectives that he had worked a 13-14-hour shift but wouldn’t have driven if he’d had felt tired as he knew it was dangerous.
He said that he’d had a can of Red Bull before setting off and felt alert. With about 45 minutes left of his journey, he realised that he needed to stop as he’d started to get tired, but before he could take a break the collision occurred.
On July 14, James, of Stokes Drive, Leicester, pleaded guilty at Northamptonshire Magistrates’ Court, to one count of causing serious injury through dangerous driving, and his case was sent to the county’s crown court for sentencing.
Following sentencing, Detective Vicki Ballantyne of the Force’s Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said: “This case highlights not only the dangers of driving tired and the devastating consequences of falling asleep behind the wheel, even for the briefest moment, but also not wearing a seat belt.
“Haron James admitted that he knew he was displaying all the warning signs of tiredness and yet ignored the opportunity to pull over and take a short break. In doing so, he put himself, his passengers and other road users’ lives at risk.
“When driving it is important to take regular comfort breaks as driving while tired delays your reaction times and affects your attention, awareness, and ability to control your vehicle. It is just not worth the risk.
“As the driver, Haron had a responsibility to ensure that all his passengers were being carried legally and safely, ensuring they had a fitted seat and seat belt. Yet knowing there was only space for two passengers, he allowed a third man to ride in the rear of the van.
“Wearing a seat belt is not only compulsory the UK, but it could be the difference between life or death in a road collision, or as this case highlights, the difference between walking away or suffering serious injuries.”
Tragically in 2024, 31 people never returned home safely to their loved ones following collisions in Northamptonshire and 243 required urgent medical assistance for serious or life-changing injuries.