A mother described how she was unable to say goodbye to her son who was killed by a dangerous driver while changing a punctured tyre. The collision occurred when the driver collided head -on with another car while trying to overtake the stationary vehicle.
Mark Rowley, 31, was killed by Shane White, 54, in a crash on the B4269 near Abergavenny on March 10, 2021. Mr Rowley was leaning into his Ford Transit van through the driver's-side door when he was hit by White's Fiat Punto, which collided with a grey Jaguar driven by Ian Curtis.
At the moment of impact White was was travelling at 47mph and tried to "squeeze through" past the victim's stationary van but did not see Mr Curtis until the last moment. Mr Curtis tried to pull to the left but was struck by White's Punto which also collided with Mr Rowley, who died a week later in hospital on March 17.
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White, of Coopers Way, Llanfoist, Monmouthshire, later told police he remembered braking "knowing that I am not going to make this". He was found guilty of causing death by dangerous driving following a trial at Cardiff Crown Court in February.
A victim personal statement from Mr Rowley's mother Michelle was read out at White's sentencing hearing on Tuesday. She said: "[Mark's fiancée] Kirsty went to Llanfoist with Mark's father Dale and initially he appeared he wasn't too badly injured and was talking at the scene but he had to wait an hour and 15 minutes for an ambulance."
Mrs Rowley said her son was initially taken to the Grange University Hospital in Cwmbran before being transferred to the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff. She said: "I needed to be with him – it was a maternal instinct and an urge to protect. It was then I realised how seriously injured he was. It was so severe they weren't sure where he was bleeding from. He lost seven pints of blood and had three transfusions.... We were told there was a chance he may not survive. Dale and I nearly lost him when he was three years old from meningitis but we never thought we'd have to face this again."
Mr Rowley was moved to the intensive care unit and his family were unable to see or visit him due to Covid restrictions. Mrs Rowley said: "We never got to see Mark alive again. I called the hospital each day and waited by the phone for updates... It was hard on everyone not being able to see Mark but I can't imagine how alone he felt."
The court heard father-of-two Mr Rowley rallied and spoke about his children and asked to watch the rugby on television but his condition deteriorated and his family were called to the hospital family room and told he had died. Mrs Rowley said: "We would be unable to see him again and say goodbye to Mark. No parent should have to bury their child.
"We were only allowed to have 20 people at his funeral – it was an impossible task to decide who should go. The streets where we lived were lined with his friends, family friends, and colleagues – around 400 people. As a family we were overwhelmed by the turn out and by people who wanted to pay their respects. It's testament to what he meant to people and the enormous hole he has left in so many lives that will never be filled."
The court was also told Mr Rowley was a ground worker and plaster who was looking to start his own business and was out pricing a job when the collision occurred. He was also a keen rugby player for Panteg RFC and helped to coach a junior team. Mrs Rowley said: "We have lost a son, Scott has lost a brother, Kirsty has lost a fiancé and her soulmate, and his children have lost a dad. His death was avoidable and something we'll never recover from."
In mitigation Nigel Fryer said his client had expressed "profound remorse and regret" for Mr Rowley's death and will have to live with the consequences of his actions for the rest of his life. He said the defendant had responsibility for four children but acknowledged he would be released one day and would be able to rejoin the family unit unlike Mr Rowley.
Judge Shoman Khan sentenced White to a total of five years imprisonment. He was disqualified from driving for eight years and three months.
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