Police officers who investigating a devastating crash on the A1(M) that saw a lorry driver kill three people have opened up about the horrors that awaited them a year on from the heart-breaking incident.
Ion Onut was using the internet on his phone when he crashed his Scania truck into slow-moving traffic on the northbound carriageway of the A1(M), in July 2021, killing three people and injuring several others.
Forensic examinations of his mobile phone found that Onut, of Galashiels, in Scotland, had been repeatedly using the device’s web browser throughout his journey from Cambridgeshire right up until the time of the collision, which happened at 6.18pm at Bowburn on July 15.
Read more: Police reveal why Thornaby Cemetery was cordoned off with police tape
Now, a year on from the horror crash, officers from Durham Police have spoken out in an emotional video that is aimed at showing how serious using your mobile phone inside a vehicle can be.
Created by Durham Constabulary’s media team, the film features moving interviews with Onut, several witnesses, police officers who attended the scene, and Junior Sullivan, whose parents, Elaine Sullivan, and David Daglish, died in the collision.
As part of the programme, PC Gareth Hopps, police medic highlights that “It was fairly apparent from the number of calls that we got and the tone of voice from the handlers that this was a serious crash.
“When you see fire and smoke, you know you’re going to be attending a bad one,” he added.
Later in the footage, PC Katie Warren, who also attended the scene, recalls the “large plume of black smoke” in front of her
“The first thing from the heat, it was like an oven, I’ve never known nothing like it,” she added.
The pair both go on to say that it was “extremely difficult” to identify how many people were deceased, due to the large-scale nature of the crash.
Detective constable Natalie Horner, from Durham Constabulary’s Collision Investigation Unit, who also appeared in the programme, summed up the damaging impact that the crash had on families.
And while some of the scenes in the programme are graphic, she also cited that she hopes the film dissuades people from using their mobile phones while driving
DC Horner said: “Ion’s actions from that day caused far-reaching and heart-breaking consequences for all of those involved – the families and friends of those who tragically lost their lives, the people who witnessed the collision, and the emergency services who attended the horrific scene that day.
“Ion himself also has to live with the horror of knowing that two families have been ripped apart and will never be the same again as a result of his actions.
She added: “We hope this film highlights just how devastating using a mobile phone or another device at the wheel of a vehicle can be - in one split second, your life and other innocent people’s lives might never be the same again.
“Please, put the phone down while driving.”
Read next:
- Police reveal why Thornaby Cemetery was cordoned off with police tape
- German Shepherd dog dies after attack in Chester-le-Street park
- Shock as naked man spotted cycling tandem in Coxhoe in County Durham
If you want to read more great stories, why not subscribe to your Northern Echo for as little as £1.25 a week. Click here
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here