Cruise control driver jailed after fatal crash in Northamptonshire

Northamptonshire Police heard that Charles Ryan was distracted by his dashboard computer when the crash happened

A driver who caused the death of a "much-loved" man because he was distracted by his van's computer display has been jailed.

Charles Ryan's van was in cruise control mode travelling at 70mph (110km/h) on the A14 in Northamptonshire on 10 October 2022.

It went into the back of Craig Melville's car near Welford.

Ryan, 28, from Tydd St Giles in Cambridgeshire, was jailed for four years and three months.

The crash happened at about 16:00 BST on the eastbound carriageway and Mr Melville's wife, who had been travelling in convoy on the same road in another car, saw the crash in her rear-view mirror,

Northamptonshire Police said Ryan was concerned about how much fuel was left in the tank and was checking the reading on his computerised dashboard display.

The crash happened near junction one of the A14 - the exit for Welford

A car had broken down in the nearside carriageway and the traffic was slowing down while the vehicle was recovered.

The car in front of Ryan's van changed lanes as the driver had realised that Ryan was not slowing down, and the van then ran into the back of a Volkswagen Polo being driven by Mr Melville, a 40-year-old father from Weldon, near Corby.

Mr Melville's car span out of control and he suffered extensive head injuries, dying three days later in hospital.

Ryan pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving and was jailed at Northampton Crown Court last week, and he will also be disqualified from driving for two years after his release from prison.

Det Insp Ryan Catling, from Northamptonshire Police's Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said: "As a result of his lapse of concentration about what was happening on the road ahead, he robbed Craig Melville of the opportunity of getting home safely.

"Mr Melville was a much-loved husband and father with a wide circle of family and friends... his death has left a family completely and forever heartbroken and no sentence will ever make up for their loss.

"Mrs Melville will never be able to forget what she witnessed in the rear-view mirror that day."