Drink-Driver Jailed For 10 Years Over M23 Death

A drink-driver who caused the death of a highways worker on the M23 near Crawley has been jailed for 10 years.

Vilius Domarkas, aged 38, was sentenced at Lewes Crown Court after admitting causing death by dangerous driving.

The court heard Domarkas was driving a Citroen Relay southbound near junction nine shortly after midnight on 8 July when he lost control and entered a coned-off section of the slip road.

He hit 65-year-old highways worker Tony Howe from Kent, who was working inside the closed-off area.

Mr Howe had stopped his Ford Transit Dropside, with its lights on, and was wearing high-visibility clothing when he was struck.

Domarkas continued driving for around 800 metres before stopping, with a traffic cone lodged underneath one of the van's tyres.

He later provided a blood sample which showed 221 microgrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood — more than twice the legal limit of 80 microgrammes.

It's estimated his alcohol level at the time of the collision was between three and four times the legal limit.

Officers also found alcohol bottles and cans inside his van and noted that he had slurred speech, bloodshot eyes and was unsteady on his feet.

Domarkas, who has no fixed address, was also disqualified from driving for 16 years and eight months.

Tony Howe's family described him as a "gentle giant" who was kind, generous, caring, hardworking and selfless.

His partner and family said they were "heartbroken", adding that he had gone to work as normal that night but never returned.

They said their future with him had been "taken away in the cruellest way."