Man jailed for causing three deaths in collision while using mobile phone

Michal Antoni Kopaniarz, a 39-year-old man from Park Road in Donnington, Shropshire, has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for causing the deaths of three people in a fatal collision on the A303 near Andover. Winchester Crown Court handed down the sentence on 24 February 2023, after Kopaniarz pleaded guilty to causing the deaths of Alex Britton, Tina Ince, and Tom Watson by dangerous driving.

The court heard that Kopaniarz was using his mobile phone at the time of the collision, which occurred on 25 August, 2021. He also admitted to perverting the course of justice, as he was caught on dash-cam footage attempting to destroy and discard his phone to conceal the fact that he had been using it while driving.

The three victims, who were from separate vehicles, were pronounced dead at the scene. Britton, 28, was driving her black Vauxhall Astra when her car broke down in lane 1 of the westbound carriageway. Ince, 58, had been driving her company vehicle, a food delivery van, directly behind Britton and stopped to see if she could assist. Watson, 30, driving a breakdown recovery truck, saw them and stopped to see if he could help.

Kopaniarz was driving a heavy goods vehicle (HGV) westbound along the A303 and collided into the three vehicles. The court heard that he had been typing his destination into his phone for directions at the time of the collision. Kopaniarz’s actions resulted in the instantaneous deaths of the three victims, tearing apart their families.

Following the collision, Kopaniarz retrieved his Samsung phone from the cab of his lorry and broke it in half before discarding the two parts in the verge. However, dash-cam footage caught him in the act, and police were able to retrieve the parts of the phone and analyse them. The analysis revealed that Kopaniarz had shared and watched a seven-minute and 28-second video clip on his phone while driving before the collision.

The lead investigator of the Roads Policing Serious Collision Investigation Unit, Detective Constable Cate Paling, called the incident a “catastrophic loss of life.” She stated that “Kopaniarz killed three people because he was using his mobile phone and not paying attention to the road. The devastating consequences of his selfish actions have torn three families apart.”

The families of the victims paid tribute to their loved ones, and their statements were read out in court. The Watson family stated that “losing Tom in the way we did was shocking and devastating for all our family. Words seem so useless when trying to explain the extent of our loss.” The Britton family described Alex as a “beautiful person” who was “kind and thoughtful, sensitive but strong and had a wicked sense of humour.” Ince’s daughter, Melissa, stated that “no court sentence will ever be enough to make up for the loss of my mum and the other loved ones who died that day.”

DC Paling added that “nothing on your phone could ever be important enough to risk killing another person.” She hoped that the dedication of the officers in this case would demonstrate how committed they were to catching dangerous drivers and holding them accountable for the lives they ruin.