Wife went out to search for husband late from work and found him in fatal crash
A woman who became worried as her husband was late from work went out searching for him and discovered he had been involved in a road crash that later killed him, a court has heard.
David Sixsmith, 64, was riding his white Honda motorcycle northbound towards Langtoft after leaving work at a yard in Driffield, East Riding of Yorkshire, at about 5.15pm, on November 14, 2022, when 28-year-old car driver Stephen Clark overtook another vehicle in foggy conditions and crashed into him.
Mr Sixsmith's wife Helen feared that there had been an accident because he was late returning home from work and she set off to find him before suffering the horror of arriving at the crash scene, Hull Crown Court heard.
The victim was an HGV driver and had worked in agriculture all his life. He owned two motorcycles and used the smaller one for work.
Stephen Clark was jailed for four years and eight months (HullLive/MEN Media)Clark, who worked for a car rentals company collecting and delivering cars, was driving a black VW Passat southbound towards Driffield after earlier dropping off a colleague in Scarborough at 4.30pm. He was on his way back to the company's Hull depot, reports HullLive.
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The driver that Clark overtook heard an "almighty noise" and a "scraping" noise and he and the driver behind Clark later said that they would not have risked overtaking in such foggy conditions. Clark overtook the car in front of him while driving at about 58mph to 61mph and he was in collision with Mr Sixsmith's motorcycle that was heading in the opposite direction. A crash was "unavoidable". Clark got out of his car and tried to assist.
Clark had earlier been driving at 76mph in a 60mph speed limit six miles before the accident and he was in a hurry to get back to the Hull depot, the court heard. There were no defects to the car or the motorcycle.
Mr Sixsmith died in hospital the same night at 10pm. His wife feared that there was a problem when her husband had not returned home and she drove out to try to find him. She found the road closed at Langtoft.
Clark had no previous convictions and he had a clean driving record. Charlotte Baines, mitigating, said that Clark was "truly heartbroken" at what happened and the "devastating" consequences of his "extremely ill-judged and misconceived decision" to overtake in foggy conditions.
"He has totally and utterly accepted responsibility for his actions that night," said Miss Baines. "He has not sought to minimise his behaviour or his actions. His expression of remorse was genuine. He has demonstrated extremely good victim awareness and empathy towards the family of the deceased. He has not sought to portray himself as a victim in these circumstances, whereas others often do. He has accepted full responsibility for his actions. There has been a misjudgement because of the fog."
"The defendant has done his best to try to convey his apologies," said Miss Baines. "He has tried his utmost to try to convey those feelings and hopes that, in due course, the family can understand where his sentiments are coming from."
Clark accepted responsibility for his actions, said Miss Baines (HullLive/MEN Media)Judge John Thackray KC told Clark that the overtaking was an "obviously dangerous manoeuvre" and led to a head-on collision in "treacherous conditions". Mr Sixsmith was able to speak after the accident with members of the public and the paramedics who were trying to help him. He asked Clark why he had not waited before pulling out to overtake.
Stephen Clark said Mr Sixsmith suffered "unsurvivable injuries" in the accident. "You ended a life and brought lifelong grief and misery to his family and friends." Clark was "in a rush" and his actions had a "terrible effect" on their lives and Mr Sixsmith's death was a "huge loss" to his family. His wife had the "turmoil" of going to the scene of the accident and the struggle of day-to-day life.
"No sentence I impose can bring Mr Sixsmith back and no sentence I impose can undo what you have done," said Judge Thackray. Clark was jailed for four years and eight months. He was banned from driving for five years and three months and he will have to pass an extended retest before he can drive legally again.
After the hearing, the family of Mr Sixsmith said in a statement: "Although today marks the end of the court proceedings, it does not change the intense feelings of grief and loss that we, as a family, continue to live with. David was not just a husband and father to those of us here today, but also a son, brother, grandpa, a resolute strength to all his family and a close friend to so many.
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"While we have the utmost respect for the justice system and the judge in his decision of the sentence given, no number of years' imprisonment or punishment can be equalled to the loss of a life. We would like to thank all those within Humberside Police, the Crown Prosecution Service and Victim Support for all their support during the investigation and court proceedings.
"David was taken from us because of an act of dangerous driving. The majority of us jump behind the wheel of a car or vehicle without a second thought as to the potential devastating consequences and ripple effect that a single decision behind the wheel can have on a family.
"Every road user belongs to someone's family. Every driver should treat them as if they were a member of their own. Don't make a decision that could stop them from coming home."
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