'He was gone in minutes and we never got to say our goodbyes' – family reaction to the loss of their son in crash caused by careless driver

Matthew Crook, 27, was driving in the wrong direction down the A1 near Newton-on-the-Moor, in April 2017, when he hit a car being driven by Barry Camron head on.

Barry, 33, was a father-of-three from Belford in Northumberland. He was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics after his car burst into flames following the crash.

Crook, and his 26-year-old female passenger, suffered serious but non-life threatening injuries during the collision.

The Crown Prosecution Service accepted a guilty plea for causing death by careless driving and on Monday, July 22, he was sentenced by a Judge at Newcastle Crown Court to a nine month suspended sentence.

Sergeant Phil Emmerson, of Northumbria Police’s Motor Patrols, said: “Getting behind the wheel of a car is not something to be taken lightly, one wrong move and it can cost someone their life.”

Following the case, Barry’s mum, Carol, talked about her relationship with Barry and how proud she was to call him her son.

She said “The impact of this crash will be with us for the rest of our lives. Barry was loved by all of his family and friends and will be incredibly missed.

“He had grown into a fine young man and he filled us with pride and joy.

“I will never forget the look on my husband’s face as he arrived with the police officers to break the news to me.

“The hardest thing was that when the van had hit Barry’s car head on it burst into flames and in an instant there was nothing left of our beloved son. He was gone in minutes and we never got to say our goodbyes.

“Barry won’t get to see his children grow up, he won’t get to celebrate birthdays and Christmases but he will always be in our hearts and thoughts. He was a wonderful son and father and we will never forget him.”

Crook, of Albatross Way in Blyth, was also ordered to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work and is banned from driving for two years. He will need to take an extended re-test before being able to drive on the roads again.