Truck driver who logged onto gambling site at the wheel jailed for M6 crash death
Daniel Barlow was sentenced at Chester Crown Court for causing the death of Chloe Williams
Last updated 16th Oct 2026
A truck driver who logged onto a gambling website while at the wheel has been jailed for causing the death of a 19-year-old woman on the M6 in Cheshire.
Daniel Barlow, 30, of Whitworth, Lancashire, was sentenced to eight years and four months in prison at Chester Crown Court on Friday.
A spokesman for Cheshire Constabulary said he was found guilty at an earlier trial of causing death by dangerous driving and two counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving.
He was also banned from driving for 10 years and four months.
What happened
Police said Barlow was driving his DAF truck on the M6 on 2nd December 2022 when it crashed into the back of a Volkswagen Polo.
Chloe Williams, from Dudley in the West Midlands, was a passenger in the car and was travelling to a concert.
She later died in hospital.
The two other people in the car suffered serious injuries, including broken legs and a fractured skull.
According to the force, the vehicles were travelling northbound when the Polo came to a stop because of heavy traffic as it approached junction 17 at Sandbach.
Barlow was said to have been travelling at a constant speed of 55mph.
Police said later analysis showed he did not try to stop until about 0.5 seconds before the crash, despite having a clear view of the traffic ahead.
They said evidence also showed he had interacted with his phone several times before the crash, including logging into a gambling website.
Failed to appear at sentencing
Police said Barlow was due to be sentenced earlier this month but failed to appear in court.
He was arrested when he was found at a friend's house.
Family tribute
Following the sentencing, Chloe's family said: "The trials may now be over but for our family, the loss of Chloe will never be over."
They said: "No verdict can bring Chloe back and no sentence can give us back the time we have lost with her."
They said: "We are grateful to the jury who listened to the facts and found him guilty of causing Chloe's death by dangerous driving."
They said: "His final refusal to attend court for his scheduled sentencing showed just how little regard he holds for anyone but himself."
They said: "We would give anything to have more time with Chloe, to hear her voice, see her smile, hold her and simply have her here with us."
They said: "Instead, we have to carry the pain of losing her for the rest of our lives, the impact of that loss will never leave us."
They added: "We will never stop loving her, we will never stop missing her and we will always be left wondering about the life she should have lived."
Police response
Inspector Andy Dennison, of the Serious and Complex Collision Investigation unit, said: "This has been a long and complex investigation, throughout which Chloe's family have acted with integrity and dignity."
He added: "Barlow meanwhile has shown absolutely no remorse for his actions, and no regards for the impact on Chloe's family and friends."