Dashcam footage showing crash which killed man in his forties released in support of road safety campaign

Dashcam footage showing a crash which killed a man in his forties in 2019 has been released by police today (July 22) in support of a road safety campaign.

Tony Skerratt, sadly died following a collision on February 26 2019. He was the passenger of an HGV which collided with two stationary vehicles on the A11, which were being used to collect litter. He was 44.

The driver of the vehicle had been distracted at the time of the collision as he tried to set up and use the vehicle’s cruise control function. He pled guilty to death by careless driving and was sentenced to four months in prison, suspended for 21 months.

The highway maintenance workers, who were employed by a contractor on behalf of a local authority, were acquitted in court by a jury of causing death by dangerous driving. Following an investigation by the Health and Safety Executive into their employer, Serco Ltd. was sentenced at Norwich Crown Court in 2023 for breaches of the Health and Safety at Work Act. They were fined £240,000 and made to pay costs of £37,000.

Following the end of all court proceedings, Tony’s family asked for footage from the collision to be shared to highlight the devastating impact distracted driving can have and how important driver focus is for avoiding serious collisions.

Tony’s sister Jacine said: “We really want drivers to know how at that moment you are not paying attention behind the wheel, and you are unaware of your surroundings.

“These crashes happen. We want people to know how the loss of a loved one makes such a massive impact on a whole family. We look at Tony’s picture on the wall and just keep thinking he should be here with us. I am lost for words for how it makes me feel watching my Mum and Dad grow older without Tony and how this affected them both so much, the loss of their baby boy, and how much it continues to affect them.

“Tony was also a dad to his daughters Rachael, Ruby and Millie and he is not here to watch them as they move through life, and grandchildren who are with us now that he will never get to meet.” 

The ‘Stay Focused’ campaign aims to influence driver behaviour and improve driver related road safety incidents. Norfolk County Council Public Health’s Road Safety team have produced guidance and tips on how drivers can stay focused while driving. The ‘Stay Focused’ toolkit can be accessed here.