Man admits causing crash that killed lorry driver and shut motorway for days
Ross Alex Neiland, 38, was involved in the collision on February 21 at junction five of the M27. The collision involved a Mercedes lorry, Nissan Juke and Volkswagen Polo. 
The lorry driver Michal Kaminski, 36, from Salisbury, died at the scene[1]. The lorry he was in hit an overhead gantry and later burst into flames, leading to the M27 being shut for almost two days[2]. Neiland, from Littlehampton, was charged with causing death by dangerous driving, causing death while uninsured, causing death while driving without a valid licence, and failing to allow a specimen of blood to be analysed.
He has now pleaded guilty to death by dangerous driving. He will be sentenced at Southampton Crown Court on January 21. Michal Kaminski was on his way to deliver flooring to customers on the South Coast when his lorry was involved in a crash on the westbound side of the M27.
Having moved from his native Poland around ten years ago, he had been working for flooring supplier Salesmark West Limited in Salisbury where he lived. Michal's brother Rafal - known as Raf - followed his big brother to the UK shortly after he arrived. He got a job at the same company and the brothers even lived together.
In a tribute at the time[3], he told the Argus' sister paper Michal was "such a good guy" and "not only my brother, he was my best friend". Rafal said: "He was my best mate and he was really a mentor for me. He was such a smart guy.
We were really close. "My parents, they live in Poland, we don't have a big family. It was only me and Michal and we were really really close.
"It's really heart-breaking because nothing is going to give him back to us, that's the worst."
A fundraiser set up in the wake of Michal's passing raised GBP16,000.
References
- ^ died at the scene (www.dailyecho.co.uk)
- ^ almost two days (www.dailyecho.co.uk)
- ^ a tribute at the time (www.dailyecho.co.uk)