Man jailed for fatal A12 collision
Danny Cohen was driving his white Ford Transit van near Mountnessing in June 2023 when he lost control, crossed three lanes, and struck a barrier
Last updated 3rd Nov 2025
A driver who caused the death of a man described as having “a huge heart and an immeasurable zest for life” has been jailed.
Danny Cohen was driving his white Ford Transit van on the A12 near Mountnessing at around 3.30pm on Thursday the 15th of June, 2023 when he lost control, crossed three lanes, and struck a barrier.
The van overturned and came to rest on its side.
Cohen and one of his passengers were able to get out but the other passenger, 26 year-old Tom Clark, was trapped inside.
Sadly, and despite the efforts of members of the public and the emergency services, Tom died at the scene.
The passenger who was able to escape from the vehicle sustained serious injuries to his spine, neck and foot.
He spent 12 days in hospital.
Essex Police's Serious Collision Investigation Unit investigated the collision.
Several witnesses described seeing the van being driven across lanes, until it hit a curb or barrier and overturn.
Tests showed that Cohen was over the drug drive limit for cannabis at the time of the collision.
In interview he claimed he was driving 70mph, which was the limit for the road but faster than the speed that type of vehicle should have been travelling which was 60mph.
Officers also established that the other passenger could only have been sat in the rear of the vehicle at the time of the collision, meaning he had not been using a restraint like a seatbelt
At Chelmsford Crown Court on 16 September, Cohen – 33, of Keats Drive, Towcester – admitted causing death by dangerous driving and causing serious injury by dangerous driving.
At the same court on 23 October he was jailed for five years and banned from driving for nine and-a-half years.
PC Fiona Rayner, from the Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said: “Danny Cohen’s reckless actions cost Tom Clark his life and left another man seriously injured.
“Driving is not a right, it is a privilege and when you get behind the wheel you have a responsibility to your passengers and other road users to be safe.
“Tom was a dearly loved young man and his loss has left his family and partner devastated. I know no sentence will bring him back but I hope this will help them move forward.”
In a statement following the collision in 2023, Tom’s family said: “Tom was a joyful and adventurous young man with a huge heart and an immeasurable zest for life.
“The generosity and kindness he extended to everyone he met is evident from the hundreds of personal tributes from around the world posted on social media since his death.
“He reached out to people and showed them friendship and support when everyone else had turned their backs and will always be remembered for his huge hugs and infectious giggle.
“His family and his partner have taken comfort from the outpouring of love and admiration for Tom, but ask that they be given privacy while they try to come to terms with their devastating loss.”