(Image: North Yorkshire Police)
A man whose dangerous driving on the A1(M) in North Yorkshire caused the death of a family’s pet dog has been sentenced.
Tamani Cama, 33, was driving a black Ford Focus “erratically” on the road southbound from Scotch Corner to junction 57 on the afternoon of June 28, 2025, North Yorkshire Police said.
A police spokesperson said Cama moved “abruptly between lanes”, lost control and collided with a red Volkswagen Transporter campervan, causing the van to spin in the carriageway.
“Tragically, the family’s dog was thrown from the vehicle by the force of the collision. Her injuries were so severe, she later had to be put to sleep,” the police spokesperson said.
They said Cama fled the scene of the crash, running down a grass verge before collapsing. He was taken to hospital for treatment for an arm and chest injury.
During his police interview, Cama said he had been up most of the night, had been working and remembered being tired. A sample of his blood contained 61mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood – below the legal limit of 80, police said.
The driver of the Volkswagen said what should have been a “happy family holiday turned into one of the most terrifying experiences of my life”.
Cama, of Ixworth, Suffolk, was charged with dangerous driving and pleaded guilty at York Magistrates’ Court.
At Ipswich Magistrates’ Court on Friday (October 23), Cama was handed a 28-week jail sentence suspended for one year, banned from driving for a year, ordered to complete a rehabilitation requirement and ordered to pay costs of £250 and a surcharge of £154. Cama must take an extended driving test before he can return to the roads.
'I still experience flashbacks of what happened' - driver of other car involved in crash
In a statement read in court, the driver of the Volkswagen said: “Our vehicle was struck from behind by another vehicle travelling at such speed that the force of the impact was absolutely terrifying.
“It was horrific. I had no idea where we were going to end up, what was going to happen next or whether we would survive.
“Knowing that my partner, my grandson and our family dog were all in the vehicle made those moments even more frightening. The memory of those moments has stayed with me ever since, and I still experience flashbacks of what happened.
"One of the most heartbreaking consequences of the accident was losing our beloved family dog.”
After the sentencing, Ross Moralee, of North Yorkshire Police, said: “This case shows the impact that dangerous driving can have on innocent members of the public.
“A bad decision to get behind the wheel resulted in devastating consequences.”