'Utterly disrespectful' Ipswich man fined and given penalty points for filming fatal A14 crash
An Ipswich motorist has been ordered to pay more than £1,300 and received six penalty points after filming and sharing footage of a fatal collision on social media.
Arturas Motuzis, 38, of Belstead Avenue, pleaded guilty to two offences at Ipswich Magistrates' Court on Thursday 19 December:
- Sending an offensive message via a public communication network
- Using a mobile phone while driving
The court ordered him to pay £1,345 in fines, costs and victim surcharges. His driving licence was endorsed with six points.
The background: The charges relate to a fatal collision on the A14 westbound at Sproughton at 17:40 on Tuesday 4 June, involving a car, van and motorcycle.
The motorcyclist, Kevin Doherty, 44, from Somersham, died at the scene.
What police say: PC Thomas Ives from the Roads and Armed Policing Team called the filming "utterly disrespectful" and highlighted mobile phone use as one of the "Fatal Four" major causes of serious and fatal collisions.
"It is unspeakable to film the scene of a fatal collision and even more so to then share it on social media," he said.
What's available: Support information for those affected by road traffic collisions can be found on the Suffolk Police website.
The bottom line: Police are urging drivers to refrain from using phones while driving and to show respect at collision scenes.
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