Nottingham Crown Court jails man for causing death by dangerous driving in A614 collision at Ollerton

A dangerous driver who killed one of his best friends and injured several others after causing a three-car pile-up has been jailed for 12 years.

William Martin was driving a yellow Seat, with two friends in the car, when he crossed to the wrong side of the road to overtake slower moving traffic heading southbound on the A614 Blyth Road at Ollerton at around 5.30pm on September 8, 2023.

Moments later, the 23-year-old crashed almost head-on into a Toyota which had moved into a filter lane intending to turn right into Whitewater Lane on the northbound side.

The Seat left the road and overturned in a ditch.

Its front seat passenger, Martin’s friend, Adam Sissons, 22, sadly died at the scene.

Another of his friends sitting in the back seat, a 23-year-old man, also suffered a fractured sternum and bruised lung.

The driver of the Toyota, a 33-year-old woman, was taken to the Queen’s Medical Centre with suspected life-altering injuries including multiple fractures which required surgery.

The front seat passenger, a 19-year-old woman, had to be freed from the vehicle by the fire and rescue service and was also taken to hospital with multiple fractures, which also required surgery.

An eight-week-old baby was secured in his car seat in the back of the Toyota at the time of the collision, and luckily only sustained minor injuries due to the safety of his car seat.

A Volkswagen Caddy Maxi, heading northbound at the time, was also involved in the collision.

A 65-year-old female passenger had to be rescued from the vehicle by the fire and rescue service. She sustained fractured ribs and a fracture to her right ankle and required surgery, while her 66-year husband, who was driving, sustained minor injuries.

Martin himself suffered a fracture to his leg, which required hospital admission and surgery, following the collision. He was arrested at the scene.

When he was later interviewed, Martin told police that his dangerous driving at the time was due to a Porsche travelling close behind him, which he was fearful of.

But interrogating data from Martin's and the Porsche driver's mobile phones found that the Porsche was a considerable distance behind the Seat at the time of the collision.

The court heard that Martin’s speed was calculated at an average of 87mph over this distance — the speed limit is 60mph.

The speed he was travelling at the time of impact is not known.

Additionally, despite witness evidence stating the Seat and Porsche had been racing in the lead up to the collision, the mobile phone evidence did not corroborate this.

Martin, of Woodhouse Court, Mansfield Woodhouse, pleaded guilty to one count causing death by dangerous driving and four counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving.

He was sentenced to 12 years in prison when he appeared at Nottingham Crown Court on Monday (September 16).

Martin was also banned from driving for 13 years, and must pass an extended driving re-test before he is eligible to drive again.

Case investigator Louise Melbourne, of Nottinghamshire Police’s serious collision investigation unit, said: “A young man sadly lost his life and others suffered potentially life-altering injuries as a direct result of Martin’s dangerous driving that day.

“Our thoughts remain with his devastated family and friends and all those who were impacted by Martin’s reckless decisions and actions.

"This tragic case is a cruel reminder of the life-shattering consequences that can happen through dangerous driving, and it is crucial lessons are learned from this so that other lives aren’t lost in such circumstances.

"Not only will Martin now be serving time behind bars, but he has also condemned the family of one of his best friends to a life sentence without their loved one."

She also extended her thanks to the investigation team, and all emergency services workers who attended the scene and were involved on that day.

"Personnel from police, fire and rescue, East Midlands Ambulance Service and the air ambulance worked together at an incredibly difficult and complex scene to extract casualties from the vehicles and provide emergency first aid, while also capturing key evidence which has assisted in this conviction,” she said.

“No sentence can make up for the harm and suffering Martin has caused, but I hope all those affected by his actions can now find some degree of closure now he has been put behind bars.

“I also hope this sad case acts as a reminder to other motorists of just how utterly devastating it can be if you choose to disobey the rules of the road and drive in a dangerous manner.”