Dad-to-be dies before meeting unborn baby after being hit by speeding driver at 128mph

A dad-to-be never got to meet his unborn baby after a speeding driver left him to die following a crash on the M6 motorway. 

John Yates, from north Wales, was driving at 128mph through temporary roadworks when he crashed into Christopher Smith, 41, on 15 November last year.

The crash happened on the motorway's northbound carriageway between Lymm and Thelwall, in Cheshire at around 12:30am.

Yates, who is of no fixed abode, has pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving and failing to provide a specimen.

He has appeared at Chester Crown Court where he has been jailed for eight years and three months.

Temporary roadworks had been in place at the time, meaning all vehicles were required to merge into lane four, the court heard. 

Yates was seen undertaking a number of vehicles shortly before the fatal crash, ignoring multiple warning signs and a temporary 50mph speed limit.

As he approached the area where the traffic was merging, Yates' white Volkswagen Scirocco collided with the side of a Peugeot 307 before hitting the back of a black Peugeot 107, the car Mr Smith was driving.

The court then heard how Yates was then seen getting out of his car and running away from the scene.

Emergency services quickly attended and following a search of the area, Yates was located and arrested at around 5.30am after he returned to the motorway.

While police searched for Yates, paramedics treated the other motorists involved in the collision.

The driver of the Peugeot 307, a 28-year-old woman from Preston, along with her 25-year-old passenger, both escaped with minor injuries.

But Mr Smith - who had left work early to spend time with his heavily pregnant wife in St Helens, Merseyside - suffered serious injuries and was taken to Salford Royal Hospital, where he died the next day.

Following the sentencing, Sergeant Simon Degg, of Cheshire Police's Serious and Complex Collision Investigation Unit, said: "Yates cowardly left the scene. Rather than staying to try to help Christopher and face the consequences of his actions, he ran off and left him to die.

"Even after he was located, he denied any involvement in the collision, and throughout questioning he declined to answer any questions and refused to provide samples of breath or blood.

"His parting comments to investigators was that he puts all of his trust in those investigating the collision.

"That investigation showed that Yates was travelling at 128mph when he collided unnecessarily with the rear of Christopher's car.

"Christopher was a true gentleman, he had left work early that day so that he could spend time with his heavily pregnant wife. He was excited at the prospect of becoming a dad and a gentleman who was doing nothing wrong whatsoever.

"While Yates pleaded guilty, he had shown no remorse of his actions and he deserves to be behind bars for a substantial amount of time.

"Because of the actions taken by Yates that day, Christopher will never get to meet his child and be the loving father that he would have been.

"While no court result could ever make up for the loss or the pain that his family have endured, but I hope that the conclusion of this case will provide some closure.

"Our thoughts remain with them at this difficult time."

As well as his prison sentence Yates has been banned from driving for seven years, which will start upon his release.

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