Summary
A cargo ship captain named Vladimir Motin testified in court that he did not fall asleep before his ship collided with a U.S. tanker off the East Yorkshire coast in March 2025. He faces charges of gross negligence manslaughter after the crash left a person missing and presumed dead. Motin claims he did not leave the ship's bridge in the hours leading up to the collision.
Key Facts
- Vladimir Motin is the captain of the cargo ship Solong.
- The Solong crashed into the U.S. tanker Stena Immaculate on March 10, 2025.
- The crash off the East Yorkshire coast resulted in one person missing and presumed dead.
- Motin denies falling asleep before the crash and faces a manslaughter charge.
- He was on watch duty alone during the crash and claims to have stayed on the bridge.
- Defence lawyer James Leonard asked if Motin left the bridge; he said he did not.
- Motin was using radar systems to monitor the ship's course before the crash.
- He stated that the autopilot did not disengage when he tried to take manual control one mile from the tanker.
