A van driver who was on his phone while behind the wheel crashed into a cyclistkilling the father-of-two. Analysis of Matthew Marston's mobile showed he had unlocked the device, searched maps and messaged on WhatsApp around the time of the collision on the A31 in Farnham, Surrey.
A member of the public reported the crash to the policewith the emergency services rushing to the westbound carriageway of the route near the village of Runfold on October 24, 2023. Cyclist, Aran Potkin, from Farnham, died at the scene. He was 40.
A witness told police they saw the van traveling on the inside lane before swerving to the right. When officers arrived the Renault Traffic van and its driver, Martson, were nowhere to be seen.
The driver and vehicle were found 800 meters away from the site of the crash, with Marston sitting by the side of the road and damage visible at the front of the van. Surrey Live reports.
Marston told officers he didn't know he had been involved in a collision, telling them he thought his engine had exploded. Police bodycam footage shows him asking: “What's happened? Have I hit him?”
Investigators scoured CCTV footage, examined the collision site and analyzed a reconstruction of the road, showing Mr Potkin would have been visible for up to 200 meters due to the hi-viz clothing he was wearing and his bike lights.
Asked by police how he had been able to use his phone, Marston replied “no comment”. He was subsequently charged with causing death by dangerous driving.
Marston, of North Baddesley, Hampshire, pleaded guilty to the offense on October 6. He was sentenced to nine years and disqualified from driving for 13 years at Kingston Crown Court on Wednesday (December 3).
At the time of the crash, he already had 12 points on his license, but had avoided a ban due to the risk of potential hardship. Half the points he had been issued were for using a mobile phone while driving.
Mr Potkin's widow, Poppy, described feeling “intensely homesick” since her husband's death. She said it was a feeling their children also share, adding: “I've realized that the 'home' we miss isn't a place, it's a person. It's Aran.
“The evening the police knocked at the door to tell me Aran had been killed, a version of us who were left behind died that night too. It was the end of Aran's life and the worst day of ours.”
She described Mr Potkin as incredibly smart, challenging and absolutely gorgeous, adding: “He was caring and fun. He didn't have an ounce of arrogance about him. Happy to be laughed at, happy to lend a hand, happy just to make others happy.”
A “natural sportsman”, Mr Potkin never met his true calling as a professional athlete, his widow said. She added: “I've spent a lot of time thinking about how hard he must have tried to stay alive. I wonder what he thought about in those last few moments. I am certain it was our children.”
She praised officers' diligence, hard work and commitment, adding: “Thank you for treating him not just as a case, but as a person. The full of life dad, son, husband, big brother and uncle that he was.”
Investigating Officer Charley Spriegel from Surrey Police's Serious Collision Investigation Unit said: “My thoughts are with the family of Aran Potkin, who have been left heartbroken by this avoidable tragedy.
“They have remained so incredibly dignified throughout the police investigation and court hearings. Today's outcome will not change the fact that Aran's life was cut so unfairly short.”
Ms Spriegel said what happened should serve as a harrowing reminder to drivers that using a mobile phone behind the wheel can have horrific consequences.
She added: “You may think it will never happen to you, but the stark reality is that you could be the reason why a family is mourning the loss of a husband, father, son and brother.”