Driver Who Accessed Gambling Site at Wheel Jailed Over Fatal M6 Crash

A lorry driver who accessed a gambling website on his phone while driving has been sentenced to eight years and four months in prison following a fatal collision on the M6 motorway in England.

Daniel Barlow, 30, of Whitworth, Lancashire, was sentenced at Chester Crown Court on October 16, 2026, for causing death by dangerous driving and two counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving. He also received a driving disqualification of 10 years and four months, with an extended retest requirement. 

Collision Followed Failure to React to Stationary Traffic

The crash happened on December 2, 2022, on the northbound M6 between junctions 16 and 17 in Cheshire. Barlow was driving a DAF lorry after completing deliveries in the Birmingham area.

Ahead of him, a Volkswagen Polo had stopped in heavy traffic near Sandbach. Passenger Chloe Williams, 19, was travelling to a concert in Manchester with her partner and a friend.

Barlow’s lorry struck the rear of the stationary car. Williams later died in hospital, while the two other occupants sustained serious injuries with lasting consequences, including memory loss and ongoing pain. 

Investigators established that the lorry had been travelling at approximately 55mph, equivalent to 89km/h. Barlow had a clear view of the stationary traffic for at least 11.5 seconds but did not attempt to stop until between a quarter and half a second before impact.

Phone Evidence Included Gambling Website Access

Cheshire Police said evidence showed Barlow had interacted with his phone several times while driving on the M6 before the collision, including logging onto a gambling website. Tachograph analysis confirmed that the vehicle was moving during those interactions.

The police account establishes access to a gambling website before the crash. It does not identify the operator or state that Barlow was placing a wager at the moment of impact. 

Sentencing Followed August Conviction

Barlow was convicted on August 14, 2026, following a three-day trial at Chester Crown Court. Police said that, when questioned after the collision, he could not explain why he had failed to slow down. 

He subsequently failed to attend a sentencing hearing scheduled for October 8. Officers arrested him the following morning at a friend’s address in Lancashire.

After sentencing, Inspector Andy Dennison criticised Barlow’s lack of remorse. Williams’ family said they had endured three trials and that the prolonged proceedings had repeatedly forced them to revisit her death.