Watch: UK Lorry Driver, Searching For Podcast On Phone, Nearly Hits Family On Roadside

A shocking video showing the dangers of distracted driving has gone viral. A lorry driver narrowly avoided a tragic accident involving a family standing on the roadside, moments before crashing his vehicle into a bush. The driver, while searching for a podcast on his phone, lost focus on the road.

The dashcam footage captures the driver, 44-year-old Raymond Catterall, steering the lorry with one hand while scrolling through his phone with the other at Tal-y-Bont, Gwynedd in Wales.

His divided attention resulted in him failing to notice a car and the family standing beside it. In a split second, he turned off the highway and crashed into nearby bushes, barely missing the family and a dog on the grass verge.

The video was shared by Daily Mail with a caption saying, “This is the shocking moment. A lorry driver who was looking for a podcast on his phone smashed into a car and narrowly missed a family standing on the road.”

Watch the video here:

According to the BBC, Catterall pleaded guilty to charges of dangerous driving and using a handheld mobile phone while driving. On August 30, Caernarfon Crown Court sentenced him to an eight-month suspended prison sentence, 150 hours of unpaid work, a three-month curfew and a 12-month driving disqualification.

The footage has sparked a wave of reactions, with many expressing outrage over the driver’s negligence.

One user commented, “Why the hell was he texting and driving? Especially in a big truck and assuming he was working? He deserves to have his license taken away and stay in prison.”

Another user said, “Everyone who drives and looks at the phone should be punished.”

While many condemned the driver, some pointed fingers at the family for parking their car at the side of the road.

One user pointed out, “That woman was lucky she didn’t get hit but also how it was parked in the lane, no excuse though shouldn’t have been using his phone.”

“Negligence on both sides, the car is way to the right,” a person wrote.

“The family should still have tried to push the car more to the side. On a highway where vehicles are driving fast, you can’t expect them to stop or slow down immediately. Also don’t use your phone in the car,” one user remarked.