A teenager on the cusp of her dream career as a British Airways air stewardess was killed when a truck driver crashed into the back of her car on a motorway. Chloe Williams, 19, was a passenger in a VW Polo when it was struck by a DAF truck driven by Daniel Barlow, 30, on the M6 in Cheshire. The collision occurred on December 2, 2022, as Williams and two friends were traveling to a concert in Manchester.
Barlow, a delivery driver, failed to react to stopped traffic in heavy congestion on the northbound carriageway between junctions 16 and 17 near Sandbach. Tests revealed Barlow was traveling at 55 mph and had only half a second to react before the collision, despite having a clear view of the traffic ahead. Williams suffered fatal injuries and died later in hospital, while her two friends sustained serious injuries.
Following a three-day trial at Chester Crown Court, Barlow was found guilty of causing death by dangerous driving and two counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving. He is scheduled to be sentenced on September 25.
Inspector Andrew Dennison of Cheshire Police's Serious Collision Investigation Unit stated that Williams' death was preventable and that Barlow was not concentrating on his driving. He emphasized the critical importance of driver attention on the roads, noting that a momentary lapse can have life-altering consequences.
Williams' family described her as their "beautiful girl" who had her future tragically cut short. The court heard that the male driver and the other passenger in the car suffered life-changing injuries, including broken legs and a fractured skull, leading to memory loss and chronic pain.