Nigerian-British Taxi Driver Jailed Six Years for Fatal Crash

A Nigerian-British taxi driver has been sentenced to six years in prison in the United Kingdom after falling asleep at the wheel and causing a crash that killed a 59-year-old man in Surrey. Kolawole Erunkulu, 45, was sentenced at Guildford Crown Court on August 25, 2026, after pleading guilty to causing death by dangerous driving. The fatal collision occurred shortly before 6:30 a.m. on Sunday, August 17, 2025, on the A23 in Merstham. The victim, Philip Dray, had safely parked his Volkswagen in a roadside layby to take a break. As he opened the driver's door to return to his vehicle, Erunkulu's Audi crossed into the layby and struck him. Dray died at the scene. An investigation by Surrey Police's Serious Collision Investigation Unit revealed that Erunkulu had driven for approximately 53 hours during the three days before the crash. Data from his employers showed his longest rest period in that time was seven hours, with other breaks lasting about four hours and two hours each. In the 12 hours immediately before the collision, Erunkulu had been working as a taxi driver with only short breaks.