A tragic chain of events that unfolded on a residential street near Wigan has left a family devastated after a 31-year-old football enthusiast was killed when a personal trainer drove over him multiple times while operating a vehicle with an inadequately cleared windscreen.
Twenty-six-year-old Megan Murphy has admitted causing death by dangerous driving and is awaiting sentencing at Bolton Crown Court.
Prosecutors told the court that her actions on the morning of January 9 last year directly resulted in the death of Darryl Tomlinson, an amateur football player who was lying in the road after a night out with friends.
Fatal Moments Captured on CCTV
According to evidence presented in court, Mr. Tomlinson was already lying in the street during the early hours of the morning.
CCTV footage showed motorists noticing him and taking steps to avoid hitting him.
A nearby resident became concerned after seeing him unresponsive and apparently incoherent.
An emergency call requesting an ambulance was placed shortly after 5 a.m., but neither police nor ambulance crews arrived following the report.
As neighbors waited for help, a taxi driver attempted to protect Mr. Tomlinson by positioning his vehicle to prevent traffic from entering the road.
However, that precaution proved ineffective when Murphy approached from the opposite direction.
Poor Visibility and Wrong-Way Driving
Prosecutors said Murphy had a habit of driving the wrong way down the one-way street because it allowed her to avoid traveling through a nearby housing estate.
On the morning of the collision, CCTV footage reportedly showed her making only a brief attempt to remove ice from her Citroen DS3 before setting off.
The court heard that the effort was grossly insufficient, leaving her with almost no clear visibility through the windscreen.
As she drove forward, Mr. Tomlinson was illuminated by her headlights.
Despite this, Murphy’s vehicle struck him and ran over him.
Witnesses reportedly attempted to alert her, with one neighbor rushing toward the car and the taxi driver sounding his horn.
Victim Run Over Three Times
The court heard that the initial impact was followed by two more movements of the vehicle.
Murphy allegedly reversed over Mr. Tomlinson and then drove forward again, running over him a second time.
Prosecutors said the final position of the vehicle left part of the car resting across his torso, restricting his ability to breathe while he remained trapped underneath.
Murphy reportedly told the taxi driver immediately afterward that she had not seen him.
However, prosecutors argued that she subsequently attempted to distance herself from responsibility by providing a misleading account of events.
Messages and Alleged Attempts to Mislead Investigators
Investigators later seized Murphy’s mobile phone and uncovered messages exchanged after the collision.
One message suggested that poor visibility due to frost on the windows could be used as part of an explanation and referred to the victim in derogatory terms.
The court also heard that Murphy was overheard during a phone call referring to Mr. Tomlinson as a “smackhead” while he remained trapped beneath her vehicle.
Prosecutors further alleged that she attempted to create the impression that she had properly de-iced the windscreen by scraping ice from the glass after the collision had already occurred.
When speaking with police at the scene, Murphy reportedly claimed she had cleared the vehicle beforehand and had been reversing when she felt what she believed was a bump caused by mounting a kerb.
Officers became suspicious after observing that most of the windscreen remained covered in ice, with only a small section cleared.
Emergency Services Response Under Investigation
The case has also raised serious questions about the response of emergency services.
Court proceedings revealed that an ambulance call had been made nearly an hour before the collision after residents discovered Mr. Tomlinson lying in the roadway.
Although the ambulance service informed police, neither organization attended because they were unable to locate him.
Prosecutors described the circumstances as a tragic twist of fate, noting that intervention at that stage could potentially have prevented the fatal incident.
An investigation into the emergency response is currently underway.
Emergency crews eventually arrived at approximately 6 a.m. and freed Mr. Tomlinson from beneath the vehicle.
Despite their efforts, he died around 20 minutes later.
Family Speaks of Lasting Grief
The victim’s mother, Michelle Tomlinson, described her son as a caring person who loved football throughout his life.
She said he would help anyone in need and remained passionate about the sport from childhood.
While expressing frustration over the failure of emergency services to reach him sooner, she stated that Murphy ultimately bore responsibility for taking her son’s life.
She added that losing him was the most painful experience her family had ever endured.
Mr. Tomlinson’s father, Tommy, told the court that he continues to suffer sleepless nights and recurring nightmares as he thinks about his son’s final moments.
He said the loss remains as raw as it was on the day it happened and described Darryl as not only a son, but also a friend and work colleague.
According to his father, the tragedy left a permanent void in the family, saying that losing Darryl felt like losing half of himself.
Sentencing Expected
Murphy, who operates fitness coaching classes near her home in Ince, has pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving.
She is due to be sentenced at Bolton Crown Court, where a judge will determine the penalty for her role in the fatal incident that claimed the life of Darryl Tomlinson.
