A UK court has sentenced 45-year-old Nigerian taxi driver Kolawole Erunkulu to six years in prison after he fell asleep while driving and killed a man.
Erunkulu, who has British and Nigerian nationality, was sentenced at Guildford Crown Court on Tuesday for causing death by dangerous driving, Surrey Police said.
Police said footage from his Audi and data from his employers showed he had driven for about 53 hours in the three days before the crash. His longest rest was only seven hours, while other breaks lasted about four and two hours.
The crash occurred shortly before 6.30 a.m. on Sunday, 17 August 2025, on the A23 in Merstham. Erunkulu had reportedly worked for about 12 hours with only short breaks.
Philip Dray, 59, had parked safely in a layby and was getting back into his car when he was hit by Erunkulu’s vehicle.
“Philip sadly died at the scene,” police said.
Judge Lees said, “The footage shows the defendant was extremely tired and, in my view, has continued to drive when he must have known that.”
Erunkulu was charged in March 2026, pleaded guilty in June and was sentenced on Tuesday.
Detective Inspector Rob Baldwin warned that fatigue can seriously affect a driver’s ability to stay alert and react safely.
