Nigerian Uber Driver Jailed For Six Years Over Fatal UK Crash

​A joint British-Nigerian commercial driver has been sentenced to six years behind bars at Guildford Crown Court after a staggering accumulation of fatigue resulted in a fatal roadside collision.

​Kolawole Erunkulu, 45, of Bexleyheath, south-east London, pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving. Surrey Police investigators revealed that in the three days leading up to the tragedy, Erunkulu had spent approximately 53 hours behind the wheel with minimal rest, accumulating a severe “sleep debt”. His longest single break during that 72-hour window was a mere seven hours.

​The fatal incident unfolded shortly before 6:30 a.m. on Sunday, August 17, 2025, along the A23 in Merstham, Surrey. Interior dashcam footage captured Erunkulu suffering from repeated bouts of yawning before experiencing a “microsleep”—a dangerous, involuntary lapse lasting several seconds where the brain ceases processing external stimuli.

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​During this brief blackout, Erunkulu’s Audi veered entirely across the carriageway and plowed into a roadside lay-by. The vehicle struck 59-year-old Philip Dray, who had safely parked his Volkswagen to take a break and was opening his driver’s door to get back inside. Dray sustained fatal injuries and died at the scene. Shockingly, interior footage showed Erunkulu continuing to drive in a semi-conscious state for roughly ten more seconds before finally pulling over at the next lay-by.

​Sentencing the driver, Her Honour Judge Lees condemned his decision to remain on the road despite obvious exhaustion.

​”The footage shows the defendant was extremely tired and, in my view, has continued to drive when he must have known that,” Judge Lees stated. “He was driving commercially. Even though he didn’t have a passenger, he could have done and has driven in that state. All of this could have been stopped had he have slept.”

​In addition to his six-year prison sentence—reduced from nine years due to his early guilty plea—Erunkulu was handed an eight-year driving disqualification to run concurrently. He will also be mandated to pass an extended retest should he ever attempt to reapply for a driver’s licence.

​Acting Detective Inspector Rob Baldwin of Surrey Police’s Serious Collision Investigation Unit emphasized the severe hazards of commercial exhaustion. “This case sadly highlights the very real dangers of driving while fatigued,” Baldwin noted. “Anyone who feels tired should not continue driving, as the consequences can be devastating.”

​Mr. Dray’s grieving partner and family paid heartfelt tributes to a man described as a “sweet, gentle, and caring” soul who spent his life prioritizing road safety, rendering the circumstances of his death an unimaginable tragedy.