Driver smoked cannabis then crashed lorry on A47 in Cambridgeshire

  • Video of the lorry swerving into the path of a Mercedes and bodycam footage of police arresting lorry driver Anthony Campbell. (Credit: Cambridgeshire Police)

A lorry driver who had taken cannabis lost control of his 44-tonne lorry and crashed into a car - leaving a passenger trapped and fearing for his life.

Anthony Campbell, 55, was almost double the drug drive limit when his lorry swerved into the path of a black Mercedes on the A47 at Guyhirn, Cambridgeshire, on 3 January.

A passenger in the car, a 38-year-old man, was left trapped in the car with serious injuries. He was later airlifted to Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge and underwent surgery.

The passenger later said he thought he was going to die and police said it was a miracle he survived.

The driver of the Mercedes, a 33-year-old man, had minor injuries. Both were from Birmingham.

Campbell was uninjured after his lorry ended up in a verge.

Damage to the Mercedes after a lorry driven by Anthony Campbell crashed into it Credit: Cambridgeshire Constabulary

In a statement in court, the passenger said: "When I was trapped in the car at the scene of the crash, I thought I was going to die.

"After my release from hospital I remember seeing lorries driving on the roads and I was shouting ‘slow down’ and grabbing hold of the handles in the car. This was the first time it hit me how scared I was following the accident."

Campbell, from Glasgow, was arrested at the roadside after testing positive for cannabis.

A blood test later showed his cannabis level was 3.7mcg per litre of blood. The legal limit is 2mcg.

Lorry driver Anthony Campbell Credit: Cambridgeshire Constabulary

He was jailed for two years at Peterborough Crown Court after pleading guilty to dangerous driving. He was also disqualified from driving for four years.

PC Boris Kahn, from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire’s Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said: “Campbell displayed unbelievable recklessness and ignorance in getting behind the wheel after smoking cannabis.

“It is nothing short of a miracle that the driver and the passenger in the Mercedes are still here today.

“While they continue to recover from their injuries, I hope the victims feel a sense of justice and closure following this sentence.

“Anyone who drives after taking illegal drugs is putting people’s lives at risk and it is completely unacceptable.”

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know