This is the shocking moment a truck driver searching for a podcast on his phone crashed into a car and nearly hit a family standing in the road.
In dashcam footage, Raymond Catterall, 44, can be seen driving on the A55 near Bangor with his phone in one hand as he looks up and down from the device.
Further down the road, a stopped car can be seen which Catterall does not notice. His truck crashes into the side of the car and nearly hits people standing on the side of the road before veering off the road and crashing into a bush.
Catterall, from Maghull in Merseyside, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving at Caernarfon Crown Court. The judge sentenced him to eight months in prison, with a suspended sentence of 18 months.
Prosecutor William Griffin told the court how police were alerted to an accident involving Catterall’s lorry and a car on the A55 on May 15 last year. The lorry had rear-ended a Kia Rio, which was half on the road and half on the hard shoulder.
In dashcam footage, Raymond Catterall, 44, can be seen driving on the A55 near Bangor with his phone in one hand as he looks up and down from the device.
Further down the road, a stopped car can be seen which Catterall does not notice. His truck crashes into the side of the car and nearly runs over people standing on the side of the road.
When police arrived, Catterall told Constable Daniel Owen that he had tried to swerve to avoid the car.
Griffin said Catterall admitted he should have noticed the vehicle was parked, but claimed it had unexpectedly pulled in front of him.
Asked about possible distractions, Catterall said: “Not that he could recall.”
Simon Mintz, the defence lawyer, said: “He was trying to find a podcast, for what it’s worth, but it distracted him enough that he didn’t see the car in the road.” Mintz said his client showed deep remorse and acknowledged he “felt very remorseful”.
The court heard how Catterall had worked for Johnsons Workwear for 28 years but now faced losing his driving licence.
Mr Mintz said: “Isn’t this another illustration of why none of us should use a phone while driving?”
Catterall’s vehicle then veers off the road and crashes into the foliage beside the bust. A road
Catterall, from Maghull in Merseyside, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving at Caernarfon Crown Court (pictured). The judge sentenced him to eight months in prison, with a suspended sentence of 18 months (file image)
Addressing Catterall, Judge Timothy Petts said the accident was “entirely avoidable” and served as another warning against mobile phone use while driving.
In addition to the suspended sentence, Judge Petts ordered Catterall to complete 150 hours of unpaid work and adhere to a three-month curfew with electronic monitoring from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.
Catterall was also given a 12-month disqualification for the dangerous driving charge and the offence of using a mobile phone while driving, to be served concurrently. He will have to pass a further extended test before his driving privileges are restored.
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