Boy died ‘in terror’ on M6 as cocaine-fuelled dad suffered fit behind wheel

Daniel Burba, 31, escaped the crash with minor injuries

14:42, 05 Aug 2025

A dad caused the death of his own son after he got behind the wheel of a van after taking cocaine.

Daniel Burba, 31, had been told not to drive after suffering fits in the past.

But the provisional licence holder did not listen in a decision which tragically led to the death of his 14-year-old son, Ryan Morgan.

The teen tried in vain to get control of the vehicle after his dad suffered an epileptic fit at the wheel of his wife's Peugeot van on the M6.

The vehicle swerved into a tree near Lancaster on April 20, with Ryan suffering fatal injuries.

A court heard how the youngster would have died 'in terror' after witnessing his father having a fit behind the wheel.

Burba was taken to hospital with "relatively minor" injuries to his ribs and lacerations following the crash on the southbound carriageway between junctions 34 and 33

While he was being treated, a paramedic discovered a small bag of cocaine in Burba's wallet, Preston Crown Court was told.

Blood tests revealed that the defendant was four times above the legal drug-drive limit.

Burba, from Morecambe, had been told in October 2014 by his doctor to stop taking cocaine after he suffered a seizure which lasted up to four minutes.

The provisional licence holder was also advised not to drive. Burba was given a similar warning in February when he was admitted to hospital after more fits and was also told to inform the DVLA, LancsLive reports.[2]

Sentencing, Judge Robert Altham, the Honorary Recorder of Preston, told him: "You knew that cocaine predisposed you to further fits. You were not entitled to drive unsupervised and certainly not on the motorway.

You should not have behind the wheel at all

"You chose to drive on a motorway on a busy bank holiday Sunday. You had a passenger in the van and that passenger was your son, a person you should have been protecting and not endangering.

"You knew that taking cocaine made your decision to drive all the more dangerous. Your driving put many other road users in danger."

Burba, of Arnside Crescent, pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to causing death by dangerous driving.

He also admitted driving without a licence and with no insurance.

Judge Altham jailed him for 10 years and disqualified him from driving for 14 years and five months.

An inquest into Ryan's death was opened at Preston Coroner's Court. The brief hearing was told that Ryan had been identified by his stepmum, Frances Burba.

Area Coroner Kate Bisset said: "Ryan was travelling in the vehicle in the company of his father Daniel Burba. Mr Burba has been charged and is remanded in custody as a result of that collision."

Ryan's mum, Kim, previously said: "Ryan Liam was the most perfect precious little boy you would ever see, and he grew to be more beautiful every day.

"He was the most amazing son to Kim and brother to Primrose and Summer and we will miss him as long as we live.

"Our hearts have a hole that will never heal, and we can't express enough the devastation this has caused our family.

We are eternally heartbroken.

RIP our perfect beautiful Ryan Liam."

A tribute issued by Ryan Liam's family said: "There truly is no one like our Ryan, such a beautiful soul and so far from typical.

"Words can't express how much we have loved and cherished him and how much we always will."

It added: "He was always making his little sisters giggle or giving them cuddles when they were sad."

References

1. ^ Watch as 'reckless' biker films himself reaching 100mph while performing stunts in frightening footage (www.birminghammail.co.uk)
2. ^ LancsLive reports. (www.lancs.live)