Van driver cleared of causing crash death

A van driver has been cleared of causing the death of a man in York.

Stephen Blakey, 55, had been charged with causing death by careless driving after Vasile Siriteanu, 37, was killed in a crash on the A64.

Mr Siriteanu, who had been driving a Hyundai i10 on 16 March 2022, had stopped in the first lane of the westbound carriageway and had been seen "slowly reversing".

York Crown Court heard other vehicles had managed to avoid the car but Mr Blakey said he had not seen it in time and struck it with his Ford Transit van and he was acquitted by a jury following a trial.

Mr Siriteanu, from Hull, died at the scene, near the A19/A64 Fulford Interchange slip road.

He had just worked a night shift as a healthcare assistant at York Hospital, where staff said "nothing unusual" had happened.

Mr Blakey, of The Green in Newby, had been travelling to work in Macclesfield after leaving Scarborough that morning.

The jury heard he had not been under the influence of alcohol, had not been speeding and there had been nothing to suggest he was distracted by a phone.

Several witnesses said they had "anticipated something could happen", after seeing the "dangerous" place the Hyundai had stopped.

More than 100 cars managed to overtake the stationary vehicle by pulling into the far lane but Mr Blakey had not reacted in time.

Prosecutor Ms Chapman argued this had been because Mr Blakey "had not been paying attention" but Mr Jarvis, defending, called the crash a "tragic accident".

The electrical engineer was described as having good character, with no previous convictions and a clean driving licence.

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