Trucker jailed 10 years for fatal Lancashire crash caused by porn distraction on phone

A veteran trucker was jailed for 10 years on Friday for causing the death of a British father of two in a May 2024 crash on the M58 in Lancashire, after police said he was distracted by pornography on his mobile phone during a roughly three-hour drive from Scotland to Liverpool.

The crash unfolded when Neil Platt, 43, failed to slow for stopped traffic and struck a Hyundai Kona driven by Danni Aitchison, a married father of two. Aitchison's car was then pushed into a tanker and burst into flames; he died at the scene. Aitchison’s partner had been on the line with him when the call abruptly ended as the crash occurred.

The court heard Platt was heavily distracted throughout the journey, with naked photos flashing on his X feed seconds before the collision. Prosecutors said he persistently viewed WhatsApp, X, YouTube and TikTok during the three-hour from Scotland to Liverpool, and that his attention was not on the road. Platt, from Bootle, later pleaded guilty to causing Aitchison’s death by dangerous driving.

In sentencing, Judge Ian Unsworth KC told Platt that his behavior demonstrated an "arrogant and selfish attitude to driving" and warned that he had "willingly and without any excuse chose to ignore the laws of the road." The judge described the crash as the result of a multi-ton accident waiting to happen and said Platt was distracted by his phone rather than paying attention to the road. The court noted there was no evidence he actively searched for porn before the crash but that he had prioritized social media over the safety of others on the road. The 10-year term will be followed by a two-thirds period in custody and a seven-year driving ban.

Kerry Aitchison, Danni’s partner, said she had been on the phone with him when the call suddenly cut, describing it as the hardest thing she would ever have to tell their children: "He was just coming home to me and the kids. Their hero has gone." Their daughter Ella described her father as "a good man driven by family and a pure love of life." Platt’s attorney, Stephen McNally, said his client was genuinely remorseful and that the case served as an object lesson for even the most experienced drivers about the consequences of divided attention on the road. "Even though the defendant’s mobile phone was in a cradle and in front of him, this case provides an object lesson," McNally said.

The crash occurred on the M58 in Lancashire, about 40 minutes east of Liverpool, in May 2024. Lancashire Constabulary investigators said the collision happened after Platt blew past stopped traffic and struck Aitchison’s Hyundai Kona, which then collided with a tanker and caught fire. Aitchison’s family described him as a devoted husband and father who was working to support his family at the time of his death.

Two-thirds of Platt’s sentence will be served in custody, with a seven-year driving ban applying after his release. The case underscores ongoing concerns about driver distraction and traffic safety on Britain’s roads, where authorities say motor vehicle crashes remain a leading cause of preventable deaths. The police statement reiterated the importance of keeping eyes and focus on the road and avoiding mobile phone use while driving.