A lorry driver who ploughed into stationary traffic on a motorway and killed three people had been looking at adult dating sites on his phone moments before, a court was told.

Dash cam footage showed Ion Onut’s cab burst into flames and career a further 100m along the A1(M) in County Durham after the initial crash caused an explosion.

Onut was jailed for eight years and 10 months at Durham Crown Court after admitting three counts of causing death by dangerous driving.

His last interaction on his phone was in the seconds before the collision and he was “utterly oblivious” to the stationary vehicles ahead, the court was told.

Onut, 41, did not brake before driving into the line of traffic at 58mph.

Onut was seen weaving across lanes prior to the crash, which happened near the Bowburn junction, and did not slow down.

Nick Dry, prosecuting, said analysis of Onut’s phone showed he had used it extensively while driving his lorry, and that he had been browsing the internet for 40 minutes before the collision.