A 45-year-old taxi driver, Kolawole Erunkulu, has been sentenced to six years in prison at Guildford Crown Court after falling asleep at the wheel and causing a fatal crash on the A23 in Merstham, Surrey.
The incident, which occurred on August 17, 2025, resulted in the death of 59-year-old Philip Dray, who had pulled into a roadside layby to rest.
Details of the fatal collision and investigation
Investigations by Surrey Police’s Serious Collision Investigation Unit revealed that Erunkulu, a resident of Bexleyheath holding joint British and Nigerian nationality, had accumulated a severe “sleep debt” after driving for 53 hours over the three days preceding the crash.
Telematics data and internal vehicle camera footage showed that his longest rest period in those 72 hours was just seven hours, with remaining breaks limited to two to four hours. In the 12 hours immediately prior to the crash, he worked continuously with minimal rest.
Footage recovered from inside his vehicle captured Erunkulu suffering a “microsleep”—a brief, involuntary episode of sleep—shortly before 6:30 AM. His Audi crossed the white lines into the layby, striking Dray as he was opening his car door to resume his journey. Dray died at the scene, while Erunkulu continued driving for ten seconds before pulling over in a subsequent layby.
Court rulings and police statements
Presiding over the case, Her Honour Judge Lees observed that footage clearly demonstrated Erunkulu’s severe exhaustion, noting that the driver continued commercial operation despite knowing his physical state. Judge Lees remarked that the tragedy was entirely preventable had the driver chosen to rest.
Surrey Police confirmed that Erunkulu’s guilty plea in June 2026 reduced his sentence from nine years to six. In addition to his custodial sentence, Erunkulu was disqualified from driving for eight years and must pass an extended re-test before regaining driving privileges.
With permission from Philip Dray’s family, law enforcement authorities released the internal cabin video to the public as a warning campaign highlighting the fatal consequences of driving while fatigued.
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