Driver Jailed For Causing Death Of Much-Loved Man On A14

A driver has been jailed for over four years for causing the death of a much-loved man in a crash on the A14 near Welford.

Charles Ryan was driving a van which collided with a car at 70mph, after he failed to notice traffic ahead had slowed because he was distracted by its on-board computer.

It was in ‘cruise control’ at the time and he was looking at the display to find out if he had enough fuel to get home.

The driver of the car, 40-year-old Craig Melville from Weldon near Corby, died three days later in hospital, having suffering serious injuries.

Mr Melville had been travelling in convoy with his wife, who tragically witnessed the collision in her rear-view mirror.

The crash happened on the A14 near Welford

Ryan, 28, from Bees Lane, Tydd St Giles in Cambridgeshire, admitted causing death by dangerous driving, following the incident on the eastbound carriageway near junction one in October 2022.

He was sentenced to for four years and three months in prison and also received a driving ban, to come into force on his release.

Following the sentencing at Northampton Crown Court, Detective Inspector Ryan Catling of Northamptonshire Police’s Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said: “The devastation Charles Ryan’s actions have caused will live beyond the sentence which has been imposed by the courts.

“Ryan admitted he was distracted with the thought of getting home on the fuel he had left in his vehicle. As a result of his lapse of concentration about what was happening on the road ahead, he robbed Craig Melville of the same opportunity of getting home safely.

“Mr Melville was a much-loved husband and father with a wide circle of family and friends, who all thought the absolute world of him. His death has left a family completely and forever heartbroken and no sentence will ever make up for their loss.

“He had been travelling in convoy with his wife at the time of the collision. Ryan may have lost his liberty for a few years, but Mrs Melville will never be able to forget what she witnessed in the rear-view mirror that day.”