THE GRIEVING mother of a girl killed alongside a woman and her two-children has pleaded with drivers to think twice before using a phone behind the wheel and said the sentence 'doesn't do justice to the crime.
Four members of a family were killed instantly and one person seriously injured after a lorry, driven by Tomasz Kroker, ploughed into a queue of cars on the A34.
He admitted he had been changing music on his phone at the time of the crash and was jailed for ten years.
Warning - distressing content. Family speak out and harrowing dashcam footage is revealed of the crash
Mum to victim Aimee Goldsmith, Kate Goldsmith said: “In our eyes the sentence does not do justice to the crime committed.
“Tracey Houghton her two sons Josh and Ethan and Aimee Goldsmith were innocent victims of his actions.”
She added: “For all intents and purposes his use of a mobile phone whilst driving turned his lorry into a lethal weapon
“He was so distracted he made no attempt to slow down.
“The sentence of ten years in prison will not ease our pain and suffering nor do we believe it will send a strong enough message to those who lack the self-restraint to not use mobile phones whilst driving.”
The family said they hoped this would make people think twice and bring about tougher sentences for the crime “as bad as drink driving".
Thames Valley Police chief inspector Henry Parsons (pictured above) added: “Tracey, Ethan, Josh and Aimee aren’t here today and Adam is injured for one simple reason; Tomasz Kroker chose to use a mobile phone whilst driving.
“The families here and everyone involved ask that I reinforce how dangerous it is to drive whilst using a mobile phone and ask that we all have a collective responsibility not to do so whilst driving.
“It simply isn’t worth the risk.”
He added: “It is as dangerous as drink driving and we can’t lose anymore lives to it.”
It was revealed at court that the distracted lorry driver jailed for killing four people from the same family had signed a form the same day promising not to use his phone behind the wheel.
Tomasz Kroker (pictured below) sobbed as family members relived the tragic moments through dashcam footage of August's horror crash.
And in a cruel twist for the grieving family it was revealed that father-of-one Kroker had signed the declaration form on the same day promising stating 'I will never use a hand-held mobile phone or hands-free kit whilst driving'.
Thames Valley Police have since released the footage which shows the moments in the lead up to the smash, as Kroker is distracted while changing the music on his mobile phone.
Kroker, from Andover, Hampshire, was jailed for 10 years at Reading Crown Court after admitting to causing death by dangerous driving near East Ilsley on August 10.
A family statement was read outside court, with grieving relatives delivering a heartfelt message over the dangers of using mobile phones at the wheel.
The family's Vauxhall Corsa with 45-year-old mother Tracey Houghton, her sons Ethan, 13, and Josh, 11, and her partner's daughter Aimee Goldsmith, 11, was forced underneath a lorry in front and crushed 'to a third of its size'.
Police have released images showing the harrowing wreckage of the car
Ms Houghton's partner Mark Goldsmith was travelling behind with son Jake. The family were on their way back from a camping holiday when it happened.
The Hon. Mrs Justice McGowan said: "There was clearly gross avoidable distraction whether that's using his phone or not looking up."
"The last kilometre of his journey along the A34 the defendant may as well have had his eyes closed.
"At no point over that distance did he attempt to slow the vehicle or try to apply the brakes.
"In the dashcam footage it shows it was less than a second before the crash in which the defendant looked up."
The court heard that the driver initially blamed faulty brakes for causing the crash, but he later admitted when faced with the dash-cam footage that he was on his phone.
Speaking for the defendant Thomas Rozier said: "The harm caused by this is unfathemable, four deaths and an individual with life changing injuries.
"My client has asked that I convey to family and friends his regret and remorse for what has happened."
More than 20 friends and family of the victims filled the court room, of which several had to leave as dashcam footage showed the domino effect of Kroker's lorry ploughing into a van, three cars and three other lorries.
The A34 was closed for several hours after the crash
Police read a victim statement from Aimee's mother Kate Goldsmith which pleaded drivers to think twice about using their phone behind the wheel.
It said: "Aimee was the light of our lives, my hope and my balance."
She added: "In my mind this driver has murdered my daughter even though it was not premeditated."
Police have released this image showing the devastating wreck of the family's car
The 30-year-old pleaded guilty on October 10 to causing death by dangerous driving and one count of causing serious injury by dangerous driving.
Mrs Justice McGowan added: "This is a harrowing case."
The 30-year-old defendant was charged with four counts of causing death by dangerous driving and sentenced to 10 years and one count of serious injury by dangerous driving and sentenced to four years to run concurrently.
FAMILY TRIBUTE
A statement, released on behalf of family members Kate and Mark Goldsmith, Dough Houghton and Jo Smith after the sentencing read:
"Today Tomasz Kroker has been sentenced for killing much loved members of our family, however, in our eyes the sentence does not do justice to the crime committed.
"Tracy Houghton, her two sons Ethan and Joshua, and Aimee Goldsmith were innocent victims of his actions.
"On the 10th August 2016, Mr Kroker made the decision to change music on his phone, whilst driving a lorry at 50mph.
"His lorry hit a queue of stationary traffic killing our four family members and seriously injuring another driver.
"In the moments Mr Kroker chose to look at his phone, he caused a multiple vehicle accident that endangered all surrounding road users and took the lives of Tracy, Ethan, Josh and my daughter Aimee.
"To all intents and purposes, Mr Kroker’s use of his mobile phone whilst driving, turned his lorry into a lethal weapon.
"He was so distracted he made no attempt to slow down.
"The sentence of 10 years in prison will not ease our pain and suffering, nor do we believe it will send a strong enough message to those who lack the self-restraint to not use their mobile phones whilst driving.
"Anyone using a mobile whilst driving is guilty of dangerous driving.
"It only takes a second of distraction to kill someone, destroying your life, your family’s lives and those of your victim and their family.
"Today’s outcome must serve as a reminder to us all of our responsibilities every time we drive and that decisions we make can be fatal.
"Our children lost their lives because of the reckless actions of Tomas Kroker, but we are not the only family to have suffered due to what is perceived by many, as a minor inconsequential crime, a crime that takes place on our roads every single day.
"We urge you to make a personal commitment to stop using mobile phones whilst driving and make our roads safer for everyone."
The crash was followed by another on the A34 two weeks later, in which three-year Isla Wiggin was killed.
Since the tragedies, there have been fresh calls for more safety measures along the A34.
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