HGV driver Daniel Barlow has been jailed for eight years and four months after ploughing into a stationary car on the M6, killing 19-year-old Chloe Williams, who was days from starting her "dream" British Airways job.
Chloe, 19, was travelling to a concert in Manchester with her partner and a friend when traffic stopped due to congestion on the M6 near Sandbach, Cheshire, on December 2, 2022. Chester Crown Court heard that Barlow, 30, who had earlier been looking at gambling sites on his phone, failed to stop for the traffic jam and smashed into Chloe's VW Polo at 55mph.
Chloe died from her injuries, while her partner behind the wheel and friend suffered serious injuries, including broken legs and a fractured skull. Both men were left with life-changing effects, including memory loss and long-lasting pain.
Barlow failed to attend sentencing
Barlow had been due to be sentenced on October 8 but failed to attend court. He was arrested the following day after officers found him at a friend's address in Lancashire.
As well as being jailed for eight years and four months, Barlow, of Burnley, Lancashire, was banned from driving for 10 years and four months and must take an extended retest before returning to the road.
Judge Thompson called Barlow's attempts to avoid prison by dodging his sentencing hearing the ultimate act of disrespect and cowardice.
Family's statement
Afterwards, Chloe's family said: "Since Chloe's death, we have not had to live through the loss of her just once; we have had to live through it again and again.
"We have endured three trials, and each one has forced us back to the worst day of our lives. Daniel Barlow's continued denial prolonged the court process and caused further pain, anger and upset to our whole family.
"The trials may now be over but for our family, the loss of Chloe will never be over. No verdict can bring Chloe back and no sentence can give us back the time we have lost with her.
"We are grateful to the Jury who listened to the facts and found him guilty of causing Chloe's death by dangerous driving. His final refusal to attend court for his scheduled sentencing showed just how little regard he holds for anyone but himself.
"We would give anything to have more time with Chloe, to hear her voice, see her smile, hold her and simply have her here with us. Instead, we have to carry the pain of losing her for the rest of our lives, the impact of that loss will never leave us.
"We will never stop loving her, we will never stop missing her and we will always be left wondering about the life she should have lived."
Details of the crash
The court heard that on the evening of Friday, December 2, 2022, Barlow was driving a white DAF truck on the northbound carriageway of the M6 between junctions 16 and 17, after completing a number of deliveries in the Birmingham area.
At the same time, Chloe was one of two passengers in a grey Polo which her partner was driving. The trio were travelling to a concert in Manchester. As they approached junction 17 for Sandbach, the Polo came to a stop in lane one due to heavy traffic. Barlow was also driving in lane one, but he failed to react to the stationary traffic in time and smashed into the car.
He was travelling at 55mph and never tried to stop until 0.25-0.5 seconds before the collision, despite having a clear view of the stationary traffic ahead for at least 11.5 seconds. While driving along the M6 prior to the collision, Barlow had interacted with his phone on several occasions, including logging on to a gambling website.
Barlow was arrested following the collision and during questioning he was unable to offer any explanation as to why he didn't slow down prior to the collision. He was originally due to be sentenced on Thursday, October 8, but he failed to attend the hearing. He was later arrested in the early hours of Friday October 9 when officers from the Cheshire Police Serious and Organised Crime Unit located him hiding at a friend's address in Lancashire.
Inspector Andy Dennison, of Cheshire Police, said: "This has been a long and complex investigation, throughout which Chloe's family have acted with integrity and dignity. Barlow meanwhile has shown absolutely no remorse for his actions, and no regards for the impact on Chloe's family and friends.
"Despite the evidence against him, he pleaded not guilty to the charges, resulting in Chloe's family having to relive their experiences in court on several occasions. Even after he was found guilty, he showed total disregard for the family by failing to attend his own sentencing hearing.
"While the sentence handed to Barlow will not bring back Chloe, I hope that it provides her family with some closure."
