HGV driver may have suffered ‘micro sleep’ before A10 crash
Gary Dunbavin, 40, had been working his final night shift after two weeks of overnight duties when the accident happened near Southery. Police forensic collision investigator PC Sophia Richards told Norfolk Coroner's Court the crash bore the "characteristics of a driver falling asleep at the wheel" and said Mr Dunbavin "may have experienced a micro sleep". 
The father and grandfather had also been suffering from cold and flu symptoms on the day he died and had taken paracetamol before starting his shift. A large number of family and friends packed into court to hear where, when and how Mr Dunbavin came by his death. His fiancee, Krystal Gray, gave an emotional tribute in which she described him as her "soul mate, best friend and safe place".
"I have tried to find the words to honour the incredible man he was but it is impossible," she said. Ms Gray told the court Mr Dunbavin had a lifelong love of driving and "anything with wheels fascinated him". "Even when he wasn't driving he would be online immersed in driving games," she said.
The couple shared a daughter together and she described the devastation of continuing to raise her without him. "We were not rich in money but rich in love," she said. "Every Friday he would buy white chocolate buttons for our daughter and it is a tradition I will continue for him.'
She added: "Learning to live without him feels impossible. I search for voice notes and videos just to hear him again. "Our world is shattered.
There are no words for the pain. Every morning I wake up to silence. "His death was like a grenade going off in our lives and I am trying to minimise the casualties while raising our daughter.
"I have felt emotions I never knew existed. Losing Gary is like losing a limb." 
The court heard Mr Dunbavin, from Clover Lane, Downham Market, was driving an articulated Masters Logistics lorry transporting 26.6 tonnes of sugar from the British Sugar factory at Wissington. Witness Nigel Jacklin told the court he and his wife had been driving home when they came across the lorry travelling southbound on the A10 shortly before 8.45pm. He described the vehicle as travelling at a steady speed in dry conditions with good visibility.
"My wife and I witnessed the lorry suddenly veer off the road down a steep embankment," he said. "It did not brake at all. "The driver cab was violently rocking from side to side."
Mr Jacklin stopped and called emergency services but said the vehicle disappeared from view because it had travelled so far down the embankment. PC Matthew Allchurch said officers arrived at the scene at about 8.50pm and discovered the lorry had travelled between 20 and 30 metres down the slope before colliding with trees and coming to rest near a water-filled dyke. "The engine was still running and there was a hissing sound," he said.
"There was massive damage to the front of the cab." He initially hoped the driver may have been thrown clear as the cab was empty. "I was looking amongst the grass and trees for anyone injured," he said.
"Debris was everywhere." Mr Dunbavin was eventually found near the wreckage and officers began CPR until paramedics arrived. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Justin Howlett, operations director at MKD Driver Recruitment, described Mr Dunbavin as "a friend and colleague". "He was a great driver and employee," he said. "He doted on his daughter and partner and he would talk about them lots."
The court heard Mr Dunbavin had started driving for the company in 2020 before temporarily moving into an office role, later returning to the road to earn more money for his family. Mr Howlett said he had joked with Mr Dunbavin before the shift and that he had been looking forward to returning to day work. "He was on his final night shift," he said.
Transport planner Nicola Owen-Jefford, who had known him for five years, described him as "kind and friendly", "professional and thorough". "He was the ultimate professional," she said. "He was always early, always cheerful and always willing to help.
"He was his normal cheerful self that night when he left the yard at 7.20pm." She later received a call from police informing her a lorry had left the road. "I started ringing Gary but there was no answer," she said.
"I could see the location on tracking and I knew it was Gary's lorry." Marie Yates, who oversaw loading at the sugar factory, confirmed Mr Dunbavin had left the site carrying 26.6 tonnes of sugar. PC Richards later carried out a forensic investigation into the collision.
"He may have experienced a micro sleep." She also confirmed there were no defects found with the lorry and Mr Dunbavin's mobile phone was not in use at the time of the crash. A post mortem examination concluded he died from multiple traumatic injuries sustained in the collision.
Area coroner Johanna Thompson recorded a conclusion of road traffic collision, saying: "We heard he had not been well that day and had been working long shifts, having been on night shifts for two weeks. "There was nothing untoward with his driving, he was not under the influence and there was nothing wrong with the vehicle." In summary she said: "Mr Dunbavin lost control of the vehicle he was driving south along the A10.
"This caused the vehicle to leave the road and collide with trees down an embankment.
"He sadly died at the scene."