Truck Driver Jailed for 8 Years After Killing 19-Year-Old British Airways Stewardess in Preventable Motorway Crash

A truck driver who killed a 19-year-old British Airways stewardess after plowing into the back of her stationary car has been sentenced to more than eight years in prison. Daniel Barlow, 30, was driving a heavy goods vehicle on the M6 motorway in Cheshire when he crashed into a Volkswagen Polo carrying Chloe Williams and two other people who were traveling to a concert in Manchester. Nearly four years later, the devastating consequences of the collision continue to haunt Chloe’s family and the two survivors.

The crash happened on the evening of December 2, 2022, as Williams, her partner and another man approached Junction 17 near Sandbach. Heavy traffic had brought vehicles to a stop, leaving the Polo stationary in the queue. Barlow, however, failed to slow down in time. A court heard that he had been able to see the line of traffic for approximately 11.5 seconds but did not attempt to brake until less than half a second before impact.

The collision left all three occupants of the car with serious injuries. Despite efforts to save her, Williams was later pronounced dead in hospital. Her two companions survived, but both suffered severe, life-changing injuries, including broken legs and a fractured skull. They have continued to experience lasting pain and memory problems, consequences that have affected their lives long after the crash itself.

Investigators uncovered further details about Barlow’s driving in the moments leading up to the collision. Analysis showed that he had used his mobile phone several times while traveling along the motorway and had accessed a gambling website before the crash. He had also maintained a speed of around 55 mph between Junctions 16 and 17. The investigation further found that he had failed to disclose medical conditions that were required to be reported to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency when applying for his heavy goods vehicle licence.

Barlow was convicted of causing death by dangerous driving and two counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving. His sentencing was initially scheduled for October 8, 2026, but he failed to appear in court. Police subsequently found him at a friend’s address in Lancashire and arrested him. When he was sentenced at Chester Crown Court on October 16, Judge Thompson criticized his failure to attend, describing it as an act of disrespect and cowardice.

The judge handed Barlow a sentence of eight years and four months in prison. He was also disqualified from driving for 10 years and four months and ordered to take an extended driving test before he could return to the road. The sentence followed a lengthy legal process that required Chloe’s family to endure three separate trials, each bringing them back to the painful circumstances of her death.

In a statement following sentencing, the family described the repeated court proceedings as deeply distressing. They said each trial had forced them to relive the worst day of their lives and that Barlow’s continued denial of the charges had prolonged their suffering. While they welcomed the guilty verdict, they emphasized that no court decision or prison sentence could restore the time they had lost with Chloe.

The family remembered the young woman for the life she should have had ahead of her, expressing how much they wished they could hear her voice, see her smile and spend more time with her. They said the grief would remain with them long after the legal proceedings ended. Cheshire Police’s Inspector Andy Dennison praised the family for their dignity throughout the investigation and said Barlow had shown little regard for the impact of his actions. Although the sentence cannot undo the tragedy, authorities hope it may provide the family with some measure of closure.

Source: The Sun