'Not in a fit state to be behind the wheel' - Drink-driver jailed after causing highway worker’s death on M23
A drink-driver, who caused the death of a highways worker on the M23 near Crawley, has been jailed for a decade.
Sussex Police said 38-year-old Vilius Domarkas ‘lost control and veered into a coned off lane’ at the southbound slip road at junction 9.
The fatal collision happened at 12.40am on Wednesday, July 8 this year.
“He struck highways worker Tony Howe, aged 65, from Kent, who was working in the coned off area,” a police spokesperson said.
“Domarkas then continued to drive for a further 800 metres before stopping, with a traffic cone still wedged under a tyre of his Citroen Relay.
“Tests showed he was more than double the legal alcohol limit several hours after the collision, and officers found alcohol bottles and cans inside his van.
“When he was arrested, they saw his speech was slurred, his eyes were bloodshot, and he was unsteady on his feet.”
Police said Mr Howe ‘suffered devastating injuries’ and was pronounced deceased at the scene. His family described him as a ‘gentle giant’, who was ‘kind, generous, caring, hardworking and selfless’. They described their loss as ‘devastating’.
In custody, Domarkas provided an evidential blood sample four hours after the collision. Police said this showed a reading of 221 microgrammes (ug) of alcohol per 100 millilitres (ml) of blood. The legal limit is 80ug of alcohol per 100ml of blood.
At the time of the collision, it was estimated he was between three and four times over the legal alcohol limit, police said.
Domarkas appeared for sentencing, at Lewes Crown Court, on September 28. He had previously admitted causing death by dangerous driving at a hearing last month.
A police statement read: “Domarkas, of no fixed address, was sentenced to ten years in prison, and was disqualified from driving for 16 years and eight months.”
Speaking after the case, Mr Howe's partner and family said they have been left ‘heartbroken’ by his death.
He had gone to work as normal, but did not return. They said their future with Mr Howe had been ‘taken away in the cruellest way’.
They said: "Tony lost his life because Domarkas made a choice.
"A choice to get into a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol.
"He made a choice that has stolen our happily ever after. A choice that killed a loving partner, sibling and father."
Detective Constable Kelly Newton, from the Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said this was a ‘devastating collision’, which has had a ‘huge impact on the family and loved ones’ of the highways worker.
She added: “Our thoughts continue to be with them through this difficult period.
“It is a tragic example of the impact of drink-driving, because Domarkas was not in a fit state to be behind the wheel.
“Drink-driving in one of the ‘fatal five’ causes of people being killed or seriously injured on our roads. Domarkas is now serving a custodial sentence.”