A LORRY driver who crashed into and killed an 80-year-old man during a vintage car run while talking on his mobile phone has been jailed.

Michael Black, from Crawley, was convicted of causing death by careless driving after the accident during the London to Brighton Veteran Car Run in 2019.

Ronald Carey, the driver of the 1903 Knox Model C car, suffered fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene.

His wife Billi Brady also suffered life-threatening head injuries.

Ronald, a Canadian oil tycoon, was driving the 118-year-old vehicle that had no front windscreen, door or roof and a top speed of 30mph when it was rear-ended.

The Argus: Ronald Carey (right) and his wife Billi Ronald Carey (right) and his wife Billi

Black was collecting a load for the smart motorway roadworks on the M25 when the crash happened.

Analysis of Black’s phone found that a call was being made at the time of the crash.

Black later claimed he did not know it was illegal to "tap" a mobile phone while driving, and said he didn’t see the car in front of him until it was too late due to the sun distracting him.

Ronald and Billi, who had travelled from Canada to take part in the annual car rally, had mistakenly driven up the slip road for the M23, instead of the designated rally route on the A23.

Both were thrown from the vehicle during the crash.

Black was jailed for 20 months and disqualified from driving for 22 months.

Judge Patricia Lees the case is “a tragedy for all involved”.

"A life was lost because of your decision to make an unnecessary and unlawful telephone call while driving a tipper truck on the A23,” she said.

"You were distracted by looking down at your phone. That meant you failed to focus on the car in front of you in the road and failed to react early enough to slow, change lanes as other cars had done.

"It seems that telephone call had no element of emergency or necessity. The call itself never connected and the phone was still ringing when the collision occurred.

"When the crash occurred, you picked up the phone and ended that call and then you called emergency services.”

Michael Rawlinson, in mitigation, said one of the most striking features of the case is that the defendant is “not just of a good character, but of positive character”.

"He formally worked for [HMRC] in enforcement and he has had an exemplary driving record for many years driving professionally,” he said.

"He has driven coach loads of people, kids, celebrities, without incident without the nearest suggestion his driving was irresponsible never mind dangerous or careless.

"This case shows a short lapse in otherwise high standards in an otherwise blameless life can have devastating consequences."