Tributes to delivery driver who died in horror crash just a month into new job
A 20 year old delivery driver tragically lost his life in a head-on crash with a lorry in Devon.
Josh Pitt, a motocross enthusiast, had only been in his new job for about a month and had passed his driving test just three months earlier. Josh, who lived in Bristol with his family, was overtaking a car towing a caravan on the A361 North Devon Link Road near Tiverton when he suddenly veered into the opposite lane and collided with a HGV around 1.30pm. He suffered fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene on July 26, 2023.
An inquest at Exeter Coroners Court heard that toxicology reports showed Josh had been under the influence of cannabis at the time of the accident. Cannabis can distort perception of space and time, impair cognition and driving performance, and decrease reaction times.
Josh's mum, Leanne Pitt, confirmed in a statement that her son regularly used cannabis. She said he had tried to quit but had recently suffered a close bereavement that greatly affected him. She shared that he was the eldest of four kids and had a passion for motorbikes and quad bikes since he was nine. He even started racing at motocross events when he was 16.
He began studying mechanics at college but didn't enjoy it, and chose to teach himself instead. He had a loving girlfriend's and was very attached to her son. When her dad tragically passed away suddenly, it hit him 'really hard'. He received a depression diagnosis from his GP in May 2023 and started taking anti-depressants.
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Josh Pitt was much loved by all his family and friends (Leanne Pitt)A month before his death, he got a job as a delivery driver after passing his driving test. Leanne revealed: "He was a good driver and did not mess about. When he got a job as a van driver he was so proud as he really wanted a driving job."
But she also spoke of the pressure he could have felt from making deliveries on time and the state of the van he drove. On the day he died, he overslept. Despite his girlfriend's plea not to go to work, he did because they needed the cash.
His death has left everyone shattered. She added: "Losing Josh has affected the whole family and our lives will never be the same." The court heard evidence from those who witnessed the fatal crash near Washfield, around four miles from Tiverton.
An experienced 62 year old lorry driver recalled the shocking incident as he drove down a single lane of the A361. He said he spotted a brown van overtaking another vehicle on the dual carriageway before swerving into his lane. "There was nothing I could do. It happened in an instant and there was no way of avoiding him.", he recounted.
The impact was so large, he stated: "It hit me with such force I was not able to keep [the lorry] in control. I was holding on for dear life." Once his lorry halted, he said: "I was shaken and in shock. I couldn't believe I had survived it."
Other people at the scene reported that Josh had not realigned his van back onto his side of the road after overtaking a car towing a caravan. A driver said: "He [Josh] seemingly made no attempt to steer back onto his side of the road." Witnesses agreed that there was nothing the lorry driver could have done to dodge the crash.
As per a police examination, cannabis along with a grinder was found in Josh's van. A vehicle examiner verified that there were no faults with either vehicles which might have caused or added to the collision. The Mercedes Benz Sprinter van suffered 'very substantial damage'. It was confirmed that Josh had his seatbelt on and hadn't used his phone prior to the crash.
The investigation found that for reasons we don't know, Josh didn't turn his bike on a bend while overtaking. They couldn't tell how fast he was going, but the lorry was doing the right speed. After looking at Josh's body, they said he died from injuries because of the crash and had cannabis in him. The tests showed he had taken cannabis before he died, but they couldn't say exactly how it affected him.
Alison Longhorn, who looks into accidents in Exeter and Greater Devon, said: "It is noted from both the toxicologist and pathologist that cannabis use causes intoxicated effects including impaired driving performance, including a lack steering control but the effects of intoxication can vary according to each individual."
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She added: "Josh had overtaken a caravan and had not corrected his steering to pull back and follow the path and instead continued in a straight line into the path of the HGV."
After Josh passed away, his family and friends came together online to raise money for his funeral. His mum Leanne called him her best friend and said, "We have received over 600 messages of love and support. Josh would have helped anybody, he was so popular and if anyone had a problem with a bike or moped, he would fix it for them. Josh still had so much to do; he had so many plans. I don't know how I'm going to get over this."
His brother Jayden, who started the online fundraiser that got more than £7,000, said: "The whole family feels lost. The amount of support we have had is impeccable; he was respected by so many others."
He also said: "Josh was a warrior; he wasn't ever scared. I don't know what I'm going to do without you king, I have so much unconditional love for you. I wish I could just send you one more message asking about bikes. You started out from just watching YouTube videos to opening up your own online business dedicated to bikes."
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