Police bodycam footage has been released showing the moments after a Euromillions winner caused a head-on collision that resulted in the death of a pensioner.
The video, released by Lincolnshire Police, shows Matt Topham, formerly of Nottinghamshire, giving his account of what happened.
During a trial, he said he took his eyes off the road for a “split second” to pick up a teddy dropped by his two-year-old son when he ploughed into Jane Reglar, 75.
In the video, dad-of-three Topham, of Swinderby, Lincolnshire, told police: "I'm just gutted about everything obviously.
"What happened is we've literally just left the parent in-laws, they're just up there at Rushmoor Country Farm Park.
"I'd left first, I've got my two sons in the rear, one's two. My youngest had dropped his teddy on the floor, my eldest said 'he's dropped his teddy, he wants his teddy' and then he started going off.
"I turned around to get the teddy, slowed down, and when I looked forward I was on the wrong side of the road."
He said he applied the breaks and pulled to the right "to get on the verge".
"I must have veered across the road," he added.
"I looked forward and I was head-on to headlights and then I tried to get onto the verge."
The 31-year-old, who won a £45m jackpot in 2012, admitted causing death by careless driving, but was cleared by a jury of causing death by dangerous driving.
The tragedy happened in North Cockerington, Lincolnshire, on Christmas Day 2019, when the victim and husband Rodney Regler, 78, were returning from a Christmas lunch.
Mr Reglar, who was driving the vehicle Topham crashed into, was injured in the head-on collision.
Topham has been given a 16-week suspended sentence and a one-year driving ban.
Detective Inspector Joanna Reeves, of Lincolnshire Police's Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said: “We send our condolences to Mr Regler and his family and our thoughts are very much with them today.
“The circumstances of the crash bring home just how very important it is for drivers to keep full attention on the road ahead.
"There are distractions both inside and outside of vehicles and while in hindsight the right thing for Matthew Topham to do would have been to find a safe place to pull over. He didn’t do that and he now lives with the consequences"
Mr Regler has also spoken of his heartbreak.
