M62 crash: Drink-drive father jailed for 10 years after son's fatal accident

A 37-year-old man named Matthew Rycroft has been sentenced to 10 years in jail for the tragic death of his 12-year-old son, Callum Rycroft, who was fatally struck by a car on the M62 motorway in West Yorkshire, as reported by BBC. The incident occurred on August 5th after Rycroft crashed their car. He admitted to manslaughter and was sentenced at Leeds Crown Court.

Judge Guy Kearl KC strongly admonished Rycroft, stating, "You were responsible for him, and you are responsible for his death." The judge emphasised that Rycroft had endangered Callum's life and had essentially "abandoned him."

The court learned that Rycroft had consumed lager and shots at the Paddock Cricket Club in Huddersfield after taking his autistic son, Callum, to visit his grandfather. Despite being urged by his father not to drive back to Leeds, Rycroft insisted on driving with Callum.


Their journey began around 9:05 PM BST in a silver Audi Q5 courtesy car while Rycroft's vehicle was undergoing repairs. An eyewitness reported that the car was swerving between lanes before colliding with a barrier on the left side of the motorway. The vehicle flipped over at the Hartshead Moor services slip road.

CCTV footage presented in court showed Rycroft and Callum walking along the hard shoulder of the M62, with Callum positioned on the side closest to the traffic. They walked for approximately 15 minutes, covering a distance of about 1.12 kilometres (0.7 miles).

At one point, Rycroft crossed to the central reservation, and Callum followed suit. When they attempted to cross back, Rycroft reached the hard shoulder and continued walking eastbound without looking back for his son, who was subsequently struck by a car.

After being found hiding in bushes by the fire service, Rycroft did not mention Callum or inquire about his whereabouts. He was taken to Leeds General Infirmary, where he failed to mention his son and behaved rudely towards the hospital staff.

Matthew Harding, Rycroft's defence barrister, acknowledged the profound and lasting consequences of the tragic incident on Rycroft's life. He recognized that the punishment exceeded any legal penalty imposed by the court.

Judge Kearl criticised Rycroft for failing to make any effort to search for his son despite multiple opportunities to "wait for help." He emphasised that Rycroft had continued to flee the scene, fully aware that Callum was not with him, and hadn't even turned around to look for his son.

In addition to the prison sentence, Rycroft was also disqualified from driving for nine years and seven months.