THE widow of a man killed by a HGV on the hard shoulder of a dual carriageway has spoken of her loss as the lorry driver responsible was jailed earlier last week.

Vipin Kumar, from Reading, was one of two men killed in the incident on the southbound carriageway of A34 at the junction with the A303, in Hampshire in July 2018, as the pair swapped details after a minor collision at the end of the A303 slip road.

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The two men were inspecting the damage when a HGV driven by Wayne Wellington veered onto the slip road and collided with the back of Mr Akrell’s van, hitting him and Vipin Kumar.

Mr Kumar, who was 43 years old, died at the scene, leaving behind a wife and five month-old baby daughter.

Kevin Akrell, 49, from Wiltshire, sustained serious injuries in the incident and died three days later in hospital.

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Speaking after sentence had been handed down, Claire Roantree, who is representing Vipin’s widow, Anita Jambhulkar, said: "Sadly, we see the aftermath of dangerous driving on the roads and the devastating impact it has on those affected and their families and loved ones.

"All vehicles on the roads can be dangerous if they are not driven properly, but driving an HGV lorry whilst impaired from drug taking was a thoughtless and selfish action."

Reading Chronicle:

Anita Jambhulkar said that she and her husband had been trying for a baby for three years before she fell pregnant. Vipin had longed to become a father and when their daughter was finally born he cried with joy.

She said: "Vipin had a special quality that made every friend feel that they were his best friend.

"He is, and always will be, greatly missed and he will remain in our hearts for years to come.

"No sentence can ever replace what we have lost.

"Vipin deserved better than to have his life ended in this fashion, in an accident that was wholly avoidable.

"To know that another family has also suffered as we had because of Wayne Wellington’s actions makes it even worse.

"Nothing can bring him back and we have to live with that, but I hope other drivers see this case and the suffering it has caused and think twice when they are on the roads."

Wayne Wellington tested positive for cocaine at the roadside shortly after the fatal collision.

A hospital blood sample later that day found cocaine and heroin present.

Last week, Wayne Wellington of Huddersfield was found guilty of causing death by dangerous driving and was sentenced to 9.5 years and disqualified for 10 years.

The judge said that Wellington made the deliberate decision to take crack cocaine and heroin the night before and drive his HGV lorry whilst affected by drugs.

He drove for two hours without taking a break and was driving at 60 mph with his foot to the floor in the moments leading up to the crash.

He did not brake until nine seconds after the collision.