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Taxi driver drove 53 HOURS in three days before deadly microsleep crash that killed man in A23 layby
- Perry Richardson
- 3 minutes ago
- 3 min read
A cab driver has been sentenced to six years in prison after fatigue caused him to fall asleep at the wheel and strike a man standing beside his parked vehicle in an A23 layby.
Kolawole Erunkulu, 45, from Bexleyheath, pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving following the collision in Merstham shortly before 6.30am on Sunday 17 August 2025.
Philip Dray, 59, had safely parked his Volkswagen in a layby to take a break. He was opening the driver’s door to get back into the vehicle when Erunkulu’s Audi left the main carriageway and struck him.
CCTV footage showed the Audi’s nearside wheels crossing completely over the white lines separating the carriageway from the layby before the vehicle corrected its course following the collision. Mr Dray died at the scene.
Investigators examined footage from inside Erunkulu’s vehicle together with data obtained from his employers. Detectives established that the taxi driver had been driving for around 53 hours during the three days before the fatal collision.
His longest period of rest between drives during that period had been seven hours, three days before the crash. Other breaks included one lasting approximately four hours and two of around two hours.
Immediately before the collision, Erunkulu had been working as a taxi driver for around 12 hours with only minor breaks, according to the investigation.
Interior camera footage provided investigators with further evidence of his condition. It showed Erunkulu experiencing “microsleep”, brief episodes of sleep lasting only seconds during which the brain stops processing information.
During one such episode, the Audi veered from the carriageway into the layby and struck Mr Dray. Erunkulu continued driving for approximately another 10 seconds before stopping in the next layby.
Erunkulu was charged with causing death by dangerous driving in March 2026 and pleaded guilty at court in June. At Guildford Crown Court on Tuesday 25 August, he was sentenced to six years’ imprisonment.
The court was told that a conviction following a trial would have resulted in a nine-year sentence. Erunkulu was also disqualified from driving for eight years, running concurrently with his prison sentence, and will be required to take an extended retest if he applies to regain his driving licence.
Her Honour Judge Lees said the footage demonstrated the level of fatigue involved and pointed specifically to Erunkulu’s role as a commercial driver.
“The footage shows the defendant was extremely tired and, in my view, has continued to drive when he must have known that,” the judge said. “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.”
Police reports quote Erunkulu to be a licensed ‘taxi driver’, but did not include details of the licensing authority he worked under, nor details of the ‘employer’ or operator.
Acting Detective Inspector Rob Baldwin, from the Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said the case demonstrated the consequences of accumulating what investigators described as a “sleep debt”.
He said: “This case sadly highlights the very real dangers of driving while fatigued. Mr Erunkulu had worked long hours with insufficient rest over the preceding days, accumulating a sleep debt.
“Fatigue can seriously impair a driver’s ability to remain alert and react safely, particularly during the early hours of the morning when the natural drive to sleep is at its strongest. Anyone who feels tired should not continue driving, as the consequences can be devastating.”
Mr Dray’s family described him as “an amazing partner and man”, while his sister said he was “dependable and steady; the sort of person people could rely on without hesitation”.
She added: “Philip spent his life as a careful and conscientious driver, ensuring the safety of his passengers and other road users. The fact that he, someone who worked every day to keep others safe, had his life taken in such a way makes this loss even more incomprehensible and tragic.”
His partner described him as “a sweet, gentle, and caring man” and said the couple had been each other’s “cheerleader, advisor, partner, and best friend”.
“Phil was my partner and my soulmate,” she said, describing the “enormous emotional and physical void” left by his death.
Mr Dray’s family have agreed to the release of footage showing Erunkulu falling asleep at the wheel in an effort to warn other motorists and professional drivers about the dangers of fatigue.
