Man jailed for manslaughter of son, 12, after crash on M62

Callum Rycroft was on the motorway because his dad, Matthew Rycroft, crashed close to Hartshead Services in West Yorkshire.

The police said Rycroft, from Leeds, was drinking during the day on a trip to see his parents in Huddersfield. His parents asked him not to drive but he refused. 

Soon he was spotted driving dangerously in the town and driving dangerously on the motorway before the crash close to the services.

The pair abandoned the car and walked onto the road where Callum, who had autism and spina bifida, was struck by a Toyota C-HR. 

His mother Claire Bancroft said Callum was let down by his dad.

Ms Bancroft said: "My children lost their dad as well as their brother and they know Callum is not here because of their dad. 

"Matt has torn the family apart, he has hurt a lot of people, but mostly he has let Callum down, all because of his selfishness."

Rycroft, of Nowell View, admitted manslaughter and dangerous driving on September 6 and, on November 6, he was jailed for 10 years at Leeds Crown Court.

A Bolton man, the driver of the Toyota C-HR, was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving but he remains on bail pending an investigation.

Detective Chief Superintendent Sarah Jones, of West Yorkshire Police, said: "Matthew should have been one of the people who Callum could trust most in the world to keep him safe. Tragically, Matthew ignored the pleas of his family and put himself and his son in danger and it was Callum who paid the price.

"Matthew will have to live with what he has done for the rest of his life but, more importantly, so too will everyone else who loved Callum. I hope the conclusion of this court case helps them as they continue to process their grief and adjust to a life without Callum."

This article was written by Jack Tooth. To contact him, email jack.tooth@newsquest.co.uk or follow @JTRTooth on Twitter.