Driver left teetering over edge of M25 after crashing lorry while he spoke to fiancée on videocall for 45 minutes
A DRIVER was left teetering precariously over the edge of the M25 after jack-knifing his lorry while on a video call to his fiancee.
Richard Mills, 52, had become “distracted” by the 45-minute call with his partner in the Philippines and started veering across the carriageway.
After hitting the central reservation, the Renault HGV travelled across the motorway then smashed through railings.
Dramatic aerial pictures showed several of the vehicle’s wheels hanging over the A2 below.
The crash closed the M25, the A2 and the A282 in Dartford for up to 13 hours – resulting in huge traffic jams.
Mills was left uninjured and admitted to officers he had been on a videocall with his iPad propped on the dashboard.
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But he claimed he was not distracted and instead blamed an apparent diesel spillage on the road for causing him to slide and crash.
Mills has now avoided jail after pleading guilty to dangerous driving at Maidstone Crown Court.
He was instead handed a six-month jail term suspended for 18 months and a year-long driving ban.
The court was told Mills was on his way to collect a load for Loughborough-based Eclipse Distribution Solutions where he had worked for 12 years.
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He was at the Darenth Interchange in Kent when the horror unfolded.
After police arrived, Mills was taken to a patrol car where he was cautioned.
Prosecutor Stacey-Lee Holland said: “He told officers that at the time of the accident he had been on a video call to his partner.
“He couldn’t recall when he made the call but he said the call ended after he said ‘I’ve crashed’.
“This call had been made via his iPad, which he told officers was sat on the dashboard leaning against an old camera – so not in a proper holder.
“He stated that he had not been distracted by the call. He also told officers that there had been diesel on the road which had caused his lorry to slide.”
Police seized the iPad and found Mills had been speaking to his partner, who has not been able to visit the UK, for 49 minutes.
Sentencing, Judge Robert Lazarus told him he had made a “dreadful error of judgement”.
He said although no one was injured, the “harm” caused at the “highest level” and cost several millions of pounds.
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The judge continued: “The M25 in both directions and the A2 in both directions were out of use for some 13 hours.
“It caused huge disruption to a large number of people and a fairly significant cost in recovering the vehicle from the scene and rendering the bridge over the A2 safe.”