A BINGLEY trucker has been handed a suspended jail sentence after pleading guilty to causing a man long-term brain injuries and blindness by dangerous driving.

Colin Shaw, 70, of The Drive, Bingley, admitted causing injury by dangerous driving when his heavy goods vehicle smashed into the back of a stationary van sat in traffic on the A1 near Newark in Nottinghamshire on May 10, 2018.

He had his lorry in cruise control at 56mph when he claimed to have suffered a “sneezing fit” which meant he couldn’t stop in time, but accepted the traffic jam was visible for up to half a mile and should have applied his brakes long before he began sneezing.

The innocent victim, Steven Hurst, 45, was left with a fractured skull and memory loss after Shaw ploughed into the back of him in the traffic queue at 8.50am that day.

Shaw told police he had travelled along the road before and began to sneeze, and then when he looked up he heard a band as he hit the victim’s van in front of him.

He admitted he didn’t understand why he only put his foot on the brake at the last minute or why he had perceived the road differently to everyone else.

Appearing at Nottingham Crown Court on September 28 he pleaded guilty to causing serious injury by dangerous driving and was handed a 12 month prison sentence, suspended for 15 months.

Shaw was also banned from driving for two years and ordered to complete 80 hours of unpaid work, abide by a curfew for six months and to take an extended test at the end of his driving ban.

Mr Hurst, from Retford in Nottinghamshire, also suffered a broken jaw and other facial fractures, along with bleeding behind his right eye.

As a result of the crash, he has lost vision in one eye and still suffers memory loss more than three years on from the incident.

His family spoke of their heartbreak and how Shaw’s actions have changed their lives following the sentencing.

Mr Hurst’s family said: “We urge everyone to remain focused whilst they are driving, especially when driving vehicles of this size.

“Any lack of concentration for any length of time can cause catastrophic consequences and change a family’s life forever as we have sadly come to know over the last three years.

"The collision changed our lives and we as a family urge all road users to pay attention on the roads.”

Case investigator Sophie Law, of Nottinghamshire Police, added: “It’s the responsibility of every driver to ensure the safety of themselves and other road users.

“Shaw could see traffic up ahead of him but failed to read the road correctly. This had devastating consequences for the van driver he ploughed into.

“We urge drivers to take care on the roads at all times, to avoid devastating incidents such as this from happening.”