2021 Bowburn crash

On 15 July 2021, at 18:15 BST,[1] traffic on the A1(M) near Bowburn had been stopped by spilled brake fluid. A lorry carrying fertiliser, driven by Ion Nicu Onut, crashed into stationary vehicles at 58 miles per hour (93 km/h), damaging four cars and another lorry and triggering an intense blaze. Onut's lorry travelled 100 metres (330 ft) after the initial impact, onto the central reservation, before coming to a stop.[2] Onut had been browsing dating sites on his mobile phone for over 40 minutes while at the wheel, driving distracted and causing him to ignore the hazard.[1]

Three people were killed in the collision and fire: David Daglish, Paul Mullen and Elaine Sullivan. Several others were injured, three of them seriously.[1] Two of the fatalities were so badly burnt that they could not be immediately identified; police were able to learn their identities from their pet's microchip. One of the injured was Molly Smith, who had suffered a head injury and was taken to hospital. She was 26 weeks pregnant at the time, but the baby was left unharmed.[2] Michael Hosty and Ryan Campbell rushed into the fire to rescue Onut from his burning lorry, and were commended in court for their bravery.[1] Onut was arrested at the scene.[2]

Onut admitted three counts of causing death by dangerous driving and was jailed for eight years and ten months.[2] He was also disqualified from driving for fourteen years and five months.[1] The sentence was examined by the Attorney General and found not to be so unduly lenient as to be referred to the Court of Appeal under the unduly lenient sentence scheme.[3]