A Nigerian-British taxi driver has been sentenced to six years in prison in the United Kingdom after falling asleep at the wheel and fatally hitting a man who had stopped at the side of the road.
Kolawole Erunkulu was convicted of causing death by dangerous driving following the death of Philip Dray on the A23 in Surrey.
The crash occurred shortly before 6:30 a.m. on August 17, 2025, when Erunkulu’s Audi crossed the carriageway and struck Dray, who was standing near a Volkswagen that he had parked in a lay-by.
Evidence from Erunkulu’s vehicle and information obtained from his employers showed that he had been driving for about 53 hours over the three days preceding the collision.
His longest rest period during that period was about seven hours, while other breaks included one of approximately four hours and two of about two hours.
Immediately before the crash, Erunkulu had been working as a taxi driver for about 12 hours with only short breaks.
Footage from an interior camera in the taxi showed Erunkulu experiencing a brief “microsleep” before the vehicle veered across the road and struck Dray.
Police said the vehicle continued for about 10 seconds before Erunkulu stopped at another lay-by.
Erunkulu, who holds both British and Nigerian nationality, was charged with causing death by dangerous driving in March 2026 and pleaded guilty in June.
Under UK law, causing death by dangerous driving is a serious criminal offence carrying a maximum sentence of life imprisonment for offences committed after June 28, 2022.
The Sentencing Council guideline provides a custody range of between two and 18 years, depending on the circumstances and seriousness of the offence.
A conviction also carries mandatory disqualification from driving for at least five years, together with a compulsory extended driving test.
The offence is assessed on the basis of the standard of driving and the degree of danger created, rather than simply whether a collision occurred.
In Erunkulu’s case, the evidence of prolonged driving, inadequate rest and the recorded microsleep formed part of the circumstances surrounding the fatal collision.
He has now been sentenced to six years’ imprisonment and disqualified from driving.