A 45-year-old taxi driver based in the United Kingdom has been sentenced to six years in prison after he dozed off at the wheel and struck a man who had stopped in a lay-by, killing him. Kolawole Erunkulu, from Bexleyheath, pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving.
The crash occurred on 17 August 2025. Erunkulu was driving an Audi when he experienced a brief microsleep. His vehicle left the road and collided with 59-year-old Philip Dray, who was getting into his Volkswagen after taking a rest break.
Erunkulu had been working for roughly 12 hours that day with only short pauses. Over the three days before the collision he had driven a total of 53 hours; his longest break in that period was seven hours, taken three days earlier.
In-car footage captured the moment he fell into the microsleep. After the impact the car continued moving for about ten seconds. Microsleeps can last only a few seconds, during which the brain fails to process information properly.
Erunkulu entered his guilty plea in June 2026. At sentencing, Her Honour Judge Lees imposed a six-year prison term and an eight-year driving ban that runs concurrently with the custodial sentence. He will also have to pass an extended driving test if he later applies for a new licence.
The judge told the court that the footage showed Erunkulu was extremely tired and should have recognised he was unfit to drive. “The footage shows the defendant was extremely tired and, in my view, has continued to drive when he must have known that. He was driving commercially,” she said. “Even though he didn’t have a passenger, he could have done and has driven in that state. All of this could have been stopped had he have slept.”
Acting Detective Inspector Rob Baldwin of the Serious Collision Investigation Unit said the case illustrated the dangers of fatigue behind the wheel. “This case sadly highlights the very real dangers of driving while fatigued. Mr Erunkulu had worked long hours with insufficient rest over the preceding days, accumulating a sleep debt,” he said. “Fatigue can seriously impair a driver’s ability to remain alert and react safely, particularly during the early hours of the morning when the natural drive to sleep is at its strongest. Anyone who feels tired should not continue driving, as the consequences can be devastating.”
Dray’s family remembered him as a dependable and quietly caring man. His sister said he never sought attention, treated people with respect and spent his life as a careful driver who prioritised the safety of others. “The fact that he, someone who worked every day to keep others safe, had his life taken in such a way makes this loss even more incomprehensible and tragic.”
His partner described him as “a sweet, gentle, and caring man” and “the one who was always there to give me a hug.” She called him her partner and soulmate, adding that his death had left an “enormous emotional and physical void.” She particularly missed the frequent phone calls he made during the day simply to check how she was.
Erunkulu will serve his prison sentence and remains disqualified from driving for eight years. Any future application for a driving licence will require him to take an extended test.
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