Truck Driver Who Accessed Gambling Site at Wheel Caged for Killing Teen

A British truck driver who logged on to a gambling website while driving has been sentenced to more than eight years in prison for causing a highway crash that killed a 19-year-old woman.

Daniel Barlow, 30, was jailed for eight years and four months at Chester Crown Court on Oct. 16 after being convicted of causing death by dangerous driving and two counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving.

The court heard that Barlow had repeatedly used his cell phone while driving his heavy goods vehicle (HGV), before plowing into stationary traffic at 55 mph on England’s M6 motorway.

The Dec. 2, 2022, collision killed Chloe Williams, who was traveling to a concert in Manchester with her boyfriend and another friend.

Eleven Seconds to React

According to a Cheshire Police statement, Barlow was driving a white DAF truck northbound after completing deliveries in Birmingham when he approached a traffic jam near Sandbach, Cheshire.

Williams was a passenger in a Volkswagen Polo that had stopped in the inside lane because of congestion.

Investigators determined that Barlow had an unobstructed view of the stationary traffic for at least 11.5 seconds but failed to react. He did not attempt to brake until between 0.25 and 0.5 seconds before impact.

Evidence showed that Barlow had interacted with his phone on several occasions while driving, including accessing the gambling website, and tachograph data confirmed that the truck was moving during those interactions.

Williams died in hospital, while the car’s two other occupants suffered life-changing injuries, including broken legs, a fractured skull, memory loss, and persistent pain.

Investigators also discovered that Barlow had failed to disclose legally notifiable medical conditions when applying for his HGV license.

Driver Hid from Police

Barlow initially denied the charges. He was scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 8 but failed to appear. Police found him hiding at a friend’s home in Lancashire the following morning.

Judge Thompson condemned his failure to attend court as an act of cowardice and disrespect.

Barlow was also banned from driving for 10 years and four months and must pass an extended driving test before regaining his license.

Williams’ family said the repeated court proceedings had compounded their suffering.

“The trials may now be over but for our family, the loss of Chloe will never be over,” they said.

Inspector Andy Dennison of Cheshire Police said Barlow had shown no remorse and hoped the sentence would provide the family with some closure.