Man sentenced for fatal M32 collision

A man has been sentenced for causing death by careless driving and causing serious injury by careless driving following a fatal collision on the M32 near Bristol.

Jamie Nicholls has been banned from driving for 12 months for being responsible for a five-car collision that happened on the Junction 1 exit slip road at Hambrook shortly before 10am on 22 August 2024.

Several people were found to have sustained injuries, including 68-year-old Michael Stone, from Longwell Green, who sadly died at the scene.

Nicholls, from Otterhampton near Bridgwater, crashed his van into the back of Mr Stone’s car at high speed.

The 48-year-old told officers at the scene that he ‘looked down for a cigarette for a second or two seconds’ and by the time he looked back up again he could not brake his van to avoid Mr Stone’s blue Peugeot that was stationary in a queue behind other vehicles. The Peugeot then collided with a third car in front of it, leading to further collisions with a fourth and fifth vehicle.

A colleague of Mr Stone was a passenger in the car and sustained significant physical injuries, including seven broken ribs and head injury, notwithstanding the mental toll it took.

Nicholls and another driver also required hospital treatment.

Penny Stone, in a statement prepared for the court ahead of Nicholls being sentenced, said she assumed her and her husband of 40 years ‘would have many more years to make memories together’.

She said they had missed out on celebrating significant family occasions together, such as the birth of their first grandchild, and ‘bucket list’ holidays.

Penny also described the pain of telling one of their two daughters what happened, who was in America on her honeymoon at the time.

She also expressed the heartbreak of their other daughter who would never again be able to pick up the phone to call their dad, simply to ask; ‘how are you?’

Penny added: “Mike was the foundation on which our family was built on. When we gather around the table now there is an empty space where he should be sat, head of the family. You knew you were safe when Mike was around and everything would be alright.

“I have lost my husband, my best friend, the father of my children, my rock, the person who rubbed my back when it ached, made my morning cuppa, laughed with me, wiped away my tears, danced with me, loved me.

“My heart is truly broken, and I miss him so much it physically hurts. All I have left of him are my memories and that shouldn’t be.

“Our daughters have lost an amazing dad who would do anything for them however old they were.

“I never got the chance to say goodbye to Mike on that fateful day. I waved him off to work and the next time I saw him was 11 days later in the mortuary.”

Speaking to Nicholls, Penny added: “The actions you took on that day when you got in your van have changed everyone in our families lives forever. But more importantly, Mike was denied the right to live his life because of you.”

Last month Nicholls pleaded guilty to one count each of causing death and serious injury by careless driving.

He was sentenced at Bristol Crown Court on Thursday 26 February to 14 months suspended for 18 months, 12 months disqualification, subject to an extended test, 60 days curfew and 10 days rehabilitation, victim surcharge and costs.

Noelie Poupard, officer in the case, said: “This was a collision caused by Nicholls’ failure to concentrate on the road ahead of him.

“A motorist looking away from the road, even for a second, will cover quite a significant distance when they are travelling 70mph and the consequences can be horrendous, as this case painfully demonstrates.

“Poor concentration at the wheel is one of the fatal five reasons behind collisions and it is entirely avoidable.

“Our thoughts and sympathies go out to Michael Stone’s devastated family.

“It’s impossible not to be moved by Penny’s heartbreaking words. We sincerely hope drivers take onboard her comments and understand the importance of driving safely, because doing so will help to prevent other families suffering the same heartache.”