Drunk Driver Jailed for 10 Years After Killing Highways Worker

A builder has been sentenced to ten years in prison after driving a van into a coned-off area on a motorway and killing a highways worker. Vilius Domarkas, 38, had recently arrived at Stansted Airport from Lithuania, where he had been in rehabilitation for alcohol issues.

Domarkas was driving on the M23 when he crashed into Anthony Howe, 65, from Kent, who was killed instantly. Prosecutors stated that Domarkas was between three and four times over the legal alcohol limit at the time of the incident. Mr. Howe had exited his vehicle only seven seconds before being struck.

The collision caused Domarkas's van to continue for approximately 500 meters before coming to a stop, reportedly due to an automatic fuel-cut-off mechanism activated by the damage. Court proceedings revealed that Domarkas, despite the impact, did not realize he had hit a person and called emergency services to report a broken windscreen.

Witnesses had observed Domarkas driving erratically and drifting between lanes in the moments leading up to the crash. Upon arrival, police noted his speech was slurred and he was unsteady on his feet, even falling over. A blood sample taken four hours after the accident confirmed he was over the legal limit, with back calculations suggesting a significantly higher intoxication level at the time of the collision.

In sentencing, Judge Martin Huseyin highlighted the severity of Domarkas's condition, stating, "It's truly shocking that as a man who was too drunk to stand up, you felt fit to drive on a motorway." Domarkas pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving.

Mr. Howe's partner, Lilian Bonney, shared a victim impact statement describing the profound loss. "My entire world was ripped apart when Tony was killed," she stated. "Tony completed me and without him I simply do not feel whole anymore. He was a gentle giant who could make anyone laugh with his cheeky personality. His future was taken away in the cruellest way. [Domarkas] made a choice that stole my happy-ever-after."

Domarkas's defense counsel mentioned that the father of two was remorseful and suggested the fatal decision to drive may have been influenced by marital breakdown. In addition to the prison sentence, Domarkas, who has no fixed address, received a driving disqualification of 16 years and eight months, and his van was forfeited.