Jury acquits van driver in fatal York crash case

A van driver has been acquitted of causing the death of a man in York. Stephen Blakey, 55, had faced a charge of causing death by careless driving after Vasile Siriteanu, 37, was killed in a collision on the A64. During the trial at York Crown Court, it was heard that Mr. Siriteanu, who was driving a Hyundai i10 on March 16, 2022, had stopped in the first lane of the westbound carriageway and was observed “slowly reversing.” While other vehicles successfully avoided the car, Mr. Blakey stated he did not see it in time and struck it with his Ford Transit van. A jury subsequently acquitted him following the trial. Mr. Siriteanu, a resident of Hull, died at the scene, near the A19/A64 Fulford Interchange slip road. He had just completed a night shift as a healthcare assistant at York Hospital, where staff reported that “nothing unusual” had occurred. Mr. Blakey, of The Green in Newby, was traveling to work in Macclesfield after departing Scarborough that morning. The jury was informed that he was not under the influence of alcohol, was not speeding, and there was no indication he was distracted by a phone. Several witnesses testified that they had “anticipated something could happen” after observing the “dangerous” location where the Hyundai had stopped. More than 100 cars managed to pass the stationary vehicle by moving into the far lane, but Mr. Blakey did not react in time. Prosecutor Ms. Chapman argued this was because Mr. Blakey “had not been paying attention,” but Mr. Jarvis, representing the defense, described the crash as a “tragic accident.” The electrical engineer was characterized as having good character, with no prior convictions and a clean driving license.