The family of a Northumberland farmer killed by a driver distracted by her phone say they have been "left broken" by his death. Michael Armstrong had finished work and was on his way to check on his elderly and house-bound father when the crash happened on the A697.
He was riding a quad bike with his two working sheep dogs secured to the rear when Ami Dronsfield's VW Golf collided with him. The crash took place between Thrunton and Whittingham, shortly after the junction with Garmintedge Bank, just after 5pm on November 14, 2024.
Fatal injuries and life support decision
Mr Armstrong, 58, of Thrunton, suffered severe injuries. He was taken to the RVI in Newcastle and placed in an induced coma. He remained on life support for 11 days, but his family then had to make the difficult decision to turn off his life support following medical advice.
An investigation found Dronsfield, a mother-of-two who had been on her way to a hair appointment in Alnwick, had accessed her phone just before the crash. She unlocked the device around six seconds before the collision and opened Snapchat around four seconds before the crash.
Jail sentence for dangerous driving
Dronsfield, 36, of West Turnpike, in Glanton, near Alnwick, has now been jailed after pleading guilty to causing death by dangerous driving. At Newcastle Crown Court, she was handed a sentence of three years and two months.
It was said she had not created, sent or received any messages or calls during the brief period her phone was active. However, Judge Robert Adams said it would have been dark at the time and the light from the phone would have been distracting. He accepted it was "a very short period of distraction but with fatal consequences" and there was "no question that she failed to see the quad bike during that time".
Family's heartbreaking statement
In a victim personal statement read out at the hearing, Michael's family spoke of their pain. They said: "That day began like most days on the farm, up early working long and hard hours, it was just like any normal day for us.
"He left our farm before 5pm with the usual 'right I'm off I'll be back soon'. He left the farm on our quadbike, little knowing those last few words would be the last Michael would speak. The image of that evening will I'm sure continue to haunt all those that witnessed it.
"The final day we went to see Michael and say our last goodbyes was the November 24, 2024, that day was also Michael's son, Lee's, 21st birthday. The following day Michael peacefully passed away. Now there are no happy birthdays for his son, there are only the memories of that horrific night and the loss of his father, his best friend and his mentor."
They continued: "For us as a broken family, it has taken our rock, our main stay and the driving force of our family and business. It has robbed the community of a much loved and respected man, it has put huge financial demands on our business and left a massive hole in everyone's lives that loved Michael.
"Ms Dronsfield will be free at some point, be free to laugh, to cry, to love and to enjoy her life. She robbed Michael Armstrong of all of that and it can never be altered or changed. Michael is gone because of Ms Dronsfield and we are left a broken family because of that night."
Police warning on mobile phone use
Detective Inspector Steven Clare, of the Northumbria Police Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said: "First of all, I would like to praise Michael's loved ones for the composure and patience they have shown throughout these proceedings. Our in-depth investigation has shown without question that Dronsfield was using her mobile phone in the seconds leading up to the collision.
"Someone has lost their life simply because a driver wanted to check their Snapchat. This was entirely avoidable, and simply should not have happened if Dronsfield was paying attention to the road ahead. While no outcome at court will ever take away the pain of what has happened, I hope the fact that Dronsfield is now behind bars as a result of her incredibly dangerous driving offers some form of closure."
Det Insp Clare added: "There is no excuse for using a mobile phone behind the wheel. Drivers need to give the road ahead their full attention, and distractions from devices undermine their safety as well as the safety of all other road users.
"Using your mobile phone while driving, even momentarily, can have devastating consequences - as we have sadly seen here. This case should be a stark reminder to the public around the devastating consequences which can occur if you use your mobile phone while driving."
