My son was killed by a Lancashire HGV driver checking Facebook - I've lost my whole world

Joe Cairns, 14, was killed when an HGV driver ploughed into a school minibus, in January 2019. Driver, James Majury, who had been using his phone throughout his journey - also killed support worker Anne Kerr, 50, and injured five others in the collision.

Now, Joe’s dad, Andy O'Dell, 55, is urging motorists to ‘think twice’ before using their phones at the wheel. The dad-of-three says his son’s death was ‘totally preventable’. Andy, a support worker for adults with learning difficulties, from Bury, said: "I lost my whole world because of James Majury's selfish actions.

Young boy ‘robbed of a future’

"If he'd been paying attention while behind the wheel, Joe would still be here today. But he was robbed of a future, and we were robbed of the memories that we should have been able to make with our boy."

He was jailed for eight years and ten months for death by dangerous driving offences and two years and eight months for the causing serious injury offences.

Joe was diagnosed with autism at ten years old but was starting to come to terms with his neurodiversity and was settling in well at his new school, Pontville School in Ormskirk, Lancs. Joe loved dogs and Doctor Who, and was ‘excited for the future’.

‘Selfish’ driver was looking at a game before he crashed

Joe was on his way to school on January 8, 2019, when Majury's Mercedes 19.2 tonne vehicle crashed into the Vauxhall Vivaro minibus. While driving his lorry, mobile phone records proved that Majury had been looking at Facebook and fantasy game Hustle Castle in the moments before the collision. He had also been on the Sky Sports app, and sent a series of text messages throughout his journey.

Andy said: "I really hope that Joe's story will make people think twice about using their phone while driving.

"So much devastation has been left from something that could have so easily been avoided. "