A 48-year-old driver who caused a fatal five-car motorway pile-up while searching for a cigarette has been handed a suspended prison sentence. Jamie Nicholls, of Otterhampton, was sentenced at Bristol Crown Court on Thursday following the death of 68-year-old Michael Stone.
The court heard that on August 22, 2024, Nicholls was driving a van at high speed on the M32 near Bristol. He told officers he “looked down for a cigarette for a second or two” and failed to see a queue of stationary traffic ahead. Nicholls crashed into the back of Mr Stone’s blue Peugeot, triggering a chain reaction involving five cars.
Mr Stone, a resident of Longwell Green, died at the scene. His colleague, a passenger in the car, suffered seven broken ribs and a significant head injury. In a victim impact statement, Penny Stone, Michael’s wife of 40 years, described him as the “foundation” of their family. “I have lost my husband, my best friend, the father of my children, my rock... I miss him so much it physically hurts,” she said.
Nicholls pleaded guilty to causing death by careless driving and causing serious injury by careless driving. The judge sentenced him to 14 months in prison, suspended for 18 months, with a 12-month driving disqualification, a 60-day curfew, and 10 days of rehabilitation activity.
Following the sentencing, Officer Noelie Poupard of Avon and Somerset Police said: “A motorist looking away from the road, even for a second, will cover a significant distance when travelling at 70mph. This was entirely avoidable.”
