Lorry driver sentenced, again, after A19 crash victim’s death

Kevin Hubbard was driving a heavy goods vehicle on the A19 southbound near Sunderland when he collided with a Ford Transit van, on November 5, 2014.

Keith Jameson was attempting to open the bonnet of the van in the nearside lane after it had broken down, when he was struck by the lorry.

The emergency services attended the scene and found Mr Jameson suffering serious injuries, before rushing him to hospital in a bid to save him.

Lorry driver sentenced for second time at Newcastle Crown Court following death of collision victim almost a decade after the incident (Image: The Northern Echo)

A further vehicle was also damaged in the incident, but the driver was not badly injured.

Mr Jameson survived the crash but suffered life-changing injuries after being diagnosed with quadriplegia, leaving him paralysed in all four limbs.

After nearly ten years of receiving around the clock care, he died as a result of his condition at the age of 71, on April 16, 2024.

Members of Northumbria Police’s Serious Collision Investigation Unit re-opened the case following his death, leading to Hubbard being charged with causing death by dangerous driving.

The now 67-year-old defendant, of Lichfield Road in Sunderland, admitted causing Mr Jameson’s death by dangerous driving at Newcastle Crown Court in December 2025.

He appeared before the same court today (Monday June 8) when Judge Tim Gittins sentenced him to an additional 20 months in prison, following his original 24-month custodial sentence when he was initially convicted after trial, in February 2016.

In a victim impact statement read out at the hearing, Keith’s family shared their pain after watching him suffer for more than a decade before his death.

Sergeant Russell Surrey, who led the investigation in the force’s Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said: “First and foremost, I would like to express my sheer admiration for Keith and his family, who have undeniably suffered for such a long time following the collision.

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“Had Hubbard been driving his vehicle in the way that was expected of him in 2014, Keith would have gone on to live a full and normal life with his loved ones.

“When we became aware that Keith had tragically died as a result of his injuries, we immediately re-opened the investigation in a bid to secure further justice in his name.

“Unfortunately, no outcome can undo the suffering Keith endured in his final years, or the unimaginable pain experienced by his family and loved ones.”