Man jailed over three-car crash that killed friend

William Martin was overtaking when he hit an oncoming car which was using a filter lane

A man who caused a three-car crash that killed his friend and seriously injured four other people has been jailed.

William Martin was trying to overtake on the A614 near Ollerton in Nottinghamshire when he collided with an oncoming car on 8 September, police said.

Martin, of Woodhouse Court in Mansfield Woodhouse, admitted one count of causing death by dangerous driving and four counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving.

At Nottingham Crown Court on Monday, the 23-year-old was sentenced to 12 years in prison and banned from driving for 13 years.

Front-seat passenger Adam Sissons was declared dead at the scene

Police said Martin had two friends in the car when he moved to overtake but struck a Toyota going into a filter lane.

Martin's yellow Seat left the road and overturned in a ditch.

Adam Sissons, 22, who was the front-seat passenger, died at the scene.

A 23-year-old man in the back of the car suffered a fractured sternum and bruised lung.

The driver of the Toyota, a 33-year-old woman, sustained suspected life-altering injuries including multiple fractures, officers said.

Her front-seat passenger, a 19-year-old woman, also suffered multiple fractures.

An eight-week-old baby was secured in his car seat in the back of the Toyota, police said.

The force added that "miraculously", he only sustained minor injuries, which was attributed to the safety the car seat provided.

Chase claim

A third car was also caught up in the collision and one of its passengers, a 65-year-old woman, sustained fractured ribs and right ankle.

Martin himself was found to have a fracture to his leg.

Police said Martin later claimed his speed was due to being chased by a Porsche but mobile phone data did not back this up.

However, officers calculated his speed at an average of 87mph (140km/h) over the preceding 2km (1.2 miles), where the speed limit is 60mph (97km/h).