This Caller Lost His Family When A Driver Stopped Paying Attention

1 November 2016, 11:41

The horrific video of a truck driver hitting a family car because he was distracted by his phone has shocked the nation. It prompted Paul to phone James O'Brien with his own devastating story.

"I was virtually the fourteenth car in a line of traffic, when a lorry ploughed through 15 vehicles - which totally wiped out everyone in my car apart from me," Paul told James.

WATCH: The Tragic Video Of Distracted Trucker Hitting Family Car

"It caused absolute carnage.

"I lost my partner and I lost my father. I had a two-year-old child in the car as well. And believe it or not the guy was distracted because he was trying to tune in his radio at the time."

Paul said even though it's 25 years since the crash, he lives with it every day.

"I live that accident every day."

But he had some compassion for the drivers who cause these crashes: "We can punish these people as much as we like. It's on their conscience.

"It's just a stupid judgment really...it destroyed my life. It destroyed my partner's family life. It destroyed a two-year-old child.

"It affects hundreds of people."

James's reaction? "I say this often to callers but I don't think I've ever meant it as much as I do today: I wish you weren't in a position to make such a powerful contribution to this topic."