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For the first time, a father whose son was killed in a motorway pile-up comes face to face with the lorry driver who fell asleep at the wheel.

Nic Tweddell’s son, Toby, was 25 when the accident happened in August, 2006. The case against Colin Wrighton was dropped before it went to trial after he was found to be suffering from sleep apnoea.

The two men are now raising awareness of obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA); a condition caused when a person’s airway is obstructed during sleep.

They can stop breathing, sometimes hundreds of times a night. As a result they are often left exhausted and can fall asleep suddenly during the day. Colin had visited his doctor about his sleepiness, four months before the accident. Tests were conducted for diabetes, which came back negative, and the GP said he was probably suffering from stress. It was not until after the crash that sleep apnoea was first considered and diagnosed.

Nic and Colin are calling for GPs to carry out more detailed medicals on lorry and coach drivers and for faster diagnosis and treatment for people who have the condition. Despite treatment being available on the NHS, many people don’t come forward for fear of losing their licences.

They were brought together by ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Radio 5 live’s Drive programme as part of a week-long focus on sleep and sleep disorders.

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