A truck driver, who was engaged in a video call at the time, crashed into stationary traffic on the motorway, resulting in the death of a father of two. The driver, identified as Zvonko Tomisa from Vidovec, Croatia, has been sentenced to 11 years in prison.

The incident occurred on the M20 motorway near Lenham, where Tomisa’s MAN lorry collided with a Nissan Qashqai driven by Arran McManus, 36. Tomisa failed to notice the traffic congestion due to a previous accident that had imposed a speed limit of 50mph. Dashcam footage revealed that Tomisa only began braking less than a second before crashing into McManus at approximately 48mph.

During the crash, Tomisa was speaking with his wife via video call, which lasted for over two minutes. Prior to the collision, he had been engaging in phone calls and messages with various individuals, including discussions about his delivery destination in central London.

The fatal collision occurred around 8:30am, resulting in the immediate death of McManus, who was on his way to work. Tomisa, who also sustained injuries in the crash, tested negative for drugs and alcohol following the incident.

Initially denying the charge of causing death by dangerous driving, Tomisa later pleaded guilty before his trial. Judge Catherine Moore, upon sentencing, emphasized that Tomisa’s prolonged use of the phone while driving was a significant factor in the accident. The judge highlighted the extensive phone activity recorded within the hour leading up to the collision, stating that Tomisa’s focus on the video call with his wife was a clear distraction from his responsibilities as a driver.

In a victim impact statement, McManus’s fiancée, Ashleigh Devlin, expressed the profound loss felt by their family due to his untimely death. She described McManus as a devoted father who cherished his children and will be deeply missed by all who knew him.