Robert Palmer, a nighttime delivery driver for Frys Logistics Ltd., fell asleep at the wheel and killed two cyclists last July in Cornwall, England, according to a report by The Telegraph. A judge sentenced Palmer to eight and a half years in prison.

Occurring at 8:30 a.m., Palmer was exhausted from working on vehicle maintenance for his company during the day instead of resting, says the report. In addition, he had been sending text messages while driving the delivery truck.

“The evidence is at the time when this accident occurred you had almost certainly fallen asleep, but it is equally clear you were disregarding the rules of the road by texting continuously, and it would seem at length,” Judge Christopher Harvey Clark told Palmer during the hearing. “You should not have been driving at all at that time. You failed to ensure that you took sufficient rest.”

In addition to the jail sentence, Palmer was also banned from driving for 10 years, says the report.

Click here for the full Telegraph article: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/scotland/11068349/Lorry-driver-who-fell-asleep-at-the-wheel-jailed-for-killing-two-extraordinary-cyclists.html