HGV driver jailed 10 years after fatal crash linked to phone distraction and porn content
Neil Platt was scrolling through images on X seconds before his lorry crashed into a stationary car, killing a father of two on the M58 in Lancashire
An HGV driver has been jailed for 10 years for causing death by dangerous driving after being heavily distracted by pornography on his phone during a three‑hour journey from Scotland to Liverpool. Neil Platt, 43, of Bootle, Merseyside, was behind the wheel when his lorry struck a stationary Hyundai Kona at 13:00 BST on 17 May 2024 at junction four on the M58 near Skelmersdale, Lancashire. Daniel Aitchison, 46, a father of two, was killed instantly as the car burst into flames and was pushed into the back of a tanker.
At Preston Crown Court, Platt pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving. The court was told he had persistently viewed content on his phone on apps including WhatsApp, X, YouTube and TikTok during the three‑hour journey from Dumfries in Scotland to Liverpool. Seconds before the crash, he was scrolling through pictures of naked women on X, according to in‑cab camera footage and subsequent analysis of his phone, which contradicted his claim that he had only touched the device briefly to check his journey time.
Judge Ian Unsworth KC told Platt he was a "multi‑tonne accident waiting to happen" and described his conduct as an "arrogant and selfish attitude to driving". "You willingly and without any excuse chose to ignore the laws of the road," the judge said, sentencing him to 10 years in prison and a driving ban.
In a victim impact statement read to the court, Daniel Aitchison's partner Kerry described the moment she was told of his death. "I was in floods of tears and inconsolable," she said. "I can remember it was a nice sunny day, and I could hear the children playing in the garden. I continually thought, 'I am going to walk into this house and change their lives forever'." Their 17‑year‑old daughter Ella also spoke, describing her father as a "good man driven by family and a pure love of life". "You didn't mean to kill my dad, and all that died alongside him, but you must have known your actions could have killed someone," she told Platt.
Daniel Aitchison's mother, Jeannette, told the court her son was a "family man, strong in body and mind". Det Sgt Matthew Davidson of Lancashire Police said after the hearing: "I don't doubt that Platt knew the devastation his actions could have caused. The dangers of using your phone whilst driving is so often spoken about, yet Platt recklessly ignored it. His selfish decision took the life of a father, partner, brother and son." Platt will serve two‑thirds of his sentence in custody and, on release, will be banned from driving for seven years.
The crash occurred on the M58 near Skelmersdale after Platt, returning to Liverpool from Scotland, reportedly spent a portion of his journey scrolling through content on his phone instead of focusing on the road. The court noted the severity of the consequences of his distraction, which culminated in the loss of Daniel Aitchison's life and the endangerment of others on a busy motorway. The case underscores ongoing concerns about mobile phone use while driving and the real‑world harms that can follow from even brief lapses in driver attention. 
The Crown Prosecution Service and Lancashire Police said the ruling sends a clear message about the danger posed by using handheld devices behind the wheel. The incident highlights the broader issue of digital distraction in the transport sector and the legal consequences for those who ignore road safety laws.