Driver jailed for fatal crash

A 30-year-old man who pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving has been sentenced to five years and nine months’ imprisonment and disqualified from driving for almost 10 years. Will Dohmatob of Rossington Close, Enfield in Northeast London, was sentenced at the Chelmsford Crown Court.

The charge relates to a fatal collision that occurred shortly before 10.40am on Saturday 3 February 2024 on the A131 at Twinstead.

Officers from the Roads Policing Unit were called to reports of a serious collision involving a box van and a motorcycle. Despite the best efforts of emergency services, the motorcyclist, Mr Andrew Rayner, was sadly pronounced dead at the scene.

44-year-old Mr Rayner had been riding with a group of fellow motorcyclists when the collision occurred.

Dohmatob, who was driving the box van, fell asleep at the wheel. His vehicle veered across the carriageway and collided with Mr Rayner, who was riding at the rear of a group of motorbike riders.

The van subsequently left the road and came to rest in a ditch.

Dohmatob only awoke following the impact.

The road was closed for several hours while specialist officers carried out a full forensic collision investigation and recovered the vehicles.

During a police interview, Dohmatob admitted he ‘nodded off’ whilst driving which was the cause of the collision. The police investigation uncovered evidence to suggest that Dohmatob had little to no sleep over a 30-hour period prior to the collision.

In a tribute issued at the time, Mr Rayner’s family described him as a man “whose warmth and kindness touched the lives of all who knew him.”

They added: “Andy was dearly loved by Rachel, his fiancée, and was a loving father, brother, and son.

His warmth and kindness touched the lives of all who knew him.

Andy, who truly loved his motorcycles, was a big part of the Essex Biker Meet Up Group and his presence will be deeply missed.

All the family members and friends will miss Andy very much.”

Detective Constable Edward Gosling said: “Driving tired can have catastrophic results: tiredness can slow down your reactions and affect how you drive. You could find lane control much more difficult, drifting from lane to lane. If you start feeling tired, pull over to a safe location and rest. Never start driving when you are already tired.