LONDON— A Nigerian-British taxi driver, Kolawole Erunkulu, has been jailed for six years by the Guildford Crown Court for causing the death of a 59-year-old man in a fatigue-related road crash in Surrey, United Kingdom.
Erunkulu, 45, of Bexleyheath, pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving after his Audi veered across the carriageway on the A23 in Merstham and struck Philip Dray, who had stopped in a roadside lay-by.
Surrey Police said the collision occurred shortly before 6:30 a.m. on Aug. 17, 2025, when Dray had parked his Volkswagen safely in the lay-by and was opening the driver’s door to return to the vehicle.
Dray died at the scene, while CCTV footage showed the Audi’s wheels crossing the white lines into the lay-by before the vehicle corrected course after the collision, police said.
Detectives examining footage from Erunkulu’s vehicle and data obtained from his employers found that he had driven for about 53 hours during the three days preceding the crash.
His longest rest during that period was seven hours, with other breaks of about four hours and two hours, while he had worked for about 12 hours immediately before the collision with only minor breaks, according to Surrey Police.
Police said an interior camera captured Erunkulu experiencing a “microsleep”, described as a brief episode of sleep lasting only seconds, during which his vehicle veered across the carriageway and struck Dray.
The vehicle continued for about another 10 seconds before Erunkulu stopped at the next lay-by, police said.
Erunkulu, who holds joint British and Nigerian nationality, was charged with causing death by dangerous driving in March 2026 and pleaded guilty in June.
At Guildford Crown Court on Aug. 25, he was sentenced to six years in prison and disqualified from driving for eight years. He will also be required to pass an extended driving test if he applies for a new licence.
During sentencing, Her Honour Judge Lees said the footage showed that Erunkulu was “extremely tired” but continued driving despite his condition.
“All of this could have been stopped had he have slept,” the judge said, stressing the dangers of continuing to drive while fatigued.
Acting Detective Inspector Rob Baldwin of Surrey Police’s Serious Collision Investigation Unit said the case highlighted the dangers of driving while fatigued.
Baldwin said Erunkulu had worked long hours with insufficient rest, accumulating what he described as a “sleep debt”, adding that fatigue could severely impair a driver’s ability to remain alert and react safely.
“Anyone who feels tired should not continue driving, as the consequences can be devastating,” Baldwin said.
Dray’s family described him as an “amazing partner and man”, while his partner said he was a “sweet, gentle, and caring man”.
The family agreed to the release of the footage showing Erunkulu falling asleep at the wheel to highlight the dangers of driving while fatigued.
