Royal Mail lorry driver fell asleep at the wheel killing grandfather
Royal Mail lorry driver is convicted of killing grandfather-of-six by crashing into his car after falling asleep at the wheel because he used his breaks on the night shift to watch videos on his phone
- Stefan-Alexandru Bloj, 34, was convicted of causing death by dangerous driving
- The Romanian HGV driver had three hours’ sleep in the 24 hours before the crash
A Royal Mail[2] lorry driver killed a grandfather in a horror crash after falling asleep at the wheel because he used his breaks to watch videos on his phone.
HGV driver Stefan-Alexandru Bloj[3] was at the end of his 12-hour night shift for the Royal Mail when he ploughed his 44-tonne lorry into the back David Sullivan’s Citroen van on the M271 in Southampton.
Witnesses described the fatal impact as an ‘explosion’ which sent the 64-year-old’s Citroen Relay flying into the air, causing devastating injuries.
Bloj, who was on his first night shift with the Royal Mail, was convicted of causing death by dangerous driving following the fatal crash on November 17, 2020.
The Romanian driver was meant to have taken rest breaks but instead watched videos on his phone and texted his partner.
Witnesses described the fatal impact as an ‘explosion’ which send 64-year-old grandfather David Sullivan’s Citroen Relay flying into the air, causing devastating injuries
This meant that in the 24 hours leading up to the crash he had a total of just three hours’ sleep.
Bloj had denied causing death by dangerous driving following the 8.30am crash, claiming he had suffered from an undiagnosed sleep condition.
However a jury today found the Romanian guilty by a majority of ten to two.
During the trial, Southampton Crown Court heard Bloj, an agency worker, was on his first-ever night shift when the smash happened and had only started working for the Royal Mail a week before.
His Mercedes Actros lorry hit the van whilst travelling at a speed of less than 40mph.
One driver, David Morris, performed CPR on Mr Sullivan for over ten minutes until paramedics arrived and motorist Thomas Boas said the impact of the crash was so great his glasses came flying off.
Opening the trial, Prosecutor Tana Adkin KC had said: ‘David Sullivan was driving a white Citroen Relay Van, south along the M271 towards Southampton.
‘The weather was fine, it wasn’t raining at the time and the sun had risen, visibility was good and the road surface was dry.
‘As the driver approached the Redbridge roundabout, he slowed it down in order to negotiate the roundabout.
‘Mr Sullivan was driving a good slow speed and he left a gap between his vehicle and Mr Boas’.
‘Mr Boas saw [the lorry] travelling fast towards the Relay van behind him.
Bloj, who was on his first night shift with the Royal Mail, was convicted of causing death by dangerous driving following the fatal crash on November 17, 2020
HGV driver Stefan-Alexandru Bloj ploughed his 44-tonne lorry into the back David Sullivan’s Citroen van on the M271 in Southampton
‘The large road lorry did not stop and hit Mr Sullivan’s van, causing it to hoist up into the air and into Mr Boas’ vehicle.’
Giving evidence, Bloj, from Southsea, Hampshire, said that at the time he thought he was fit to drive and he ‘had no problems with sleep before the collision’.
However, he said he was diagnosed with ‘severe’ sleep apnoea – when your breathing stops and starts while you sleep, causing sleepiness in the day – following a trip to his home country of Romania after the crash.
Before the crash, Bloj had slept for just three hours – with half an hour being in the previous morning and two and a half hours being a short sleep before work.
He told the court, however, that with this amount of sleep, he still felt okay to drive and denied feeling tired the day before.
Married Mr Sullivan leaves behind a wife, two children, three step-children and six grandchildren.
His family said Mr Sullivan, from Wivelsfield Green, near Lewes, East Sussex, is ‘very sorely missed by everyone who knew and loved him’.
Bloj is set to be sentenced later this month. He has been bailed and must surrender his passport.
References
- ^ Sukhmani Sethi (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ Royal Mail (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ HGV driver Stefan-Alexandru Bloj (www.dailymail.co.uk)