Personal Trainer Admitted Causing Death After Repeatedly Driving Over Man in Road

A personal trainer who drove over a man after he collapsed in the road was told she would have to face the consequences of her dangerous driving.

Megan Murphy, 26, was involved in the fatal incident during the early hours of January 9 last year in Marsh Green, Wigan. The court heard that she had failed to properly clear her windscreen before getting behind the wheel and subsequently drove in the wrong direction along a one-way road.

The victim, Darryl Tomlinson, 31, lived close to Murphy’s former home. He had spent the previous evening drinking with friends before making his way home in the early hours of the morning.

At some point during his journey, Tomlinson collapsed and fell into the road.

Murphy then drove over him.

Rather than immediately stopping and ensuring that the person underneath her vehicle was safe, she reversed the car and drove over him for a second time.

The court heard that Murphy initially claimed she had not seen the man.

She reportedly said, “I didn’t see him” immediately after the incident. However, she subsequently told a friend that she had just reversed over him.

The prosecution also told the court that Murphy referred to Tomlinson as a “smackhead” while he was still underneath her vehicle.

Neighbours who noticed Tomlinson lying in the road contacted emergency services and called 999.

However, the court was told that police officers and paramedics were unable to locate him when they attended the area and consequently did not reach the victim.

In what prosecutors described as a tragic and deeply unfortunate turn of events, Tomlinson remained in the street and subsequently died.

Murphy, who now lives on Lord Street in Ince, appeared before Bolton Crown Court for sentencing on Tuesday, June 23.

She had previously admitted responsibility for causing death by dangerous driving.

The court was due to determine her sentence the following day, Wednesday, June 24.

During the hearing, prosecutor Rob Hall outlined the circumstances leading up to the fatal collision.

At the time, Murphy was living on Kitt Green Road in Marsh Green.

The prosecution said she had developed a regular habit of using an access lane to reverse her vehicle before travelling the wrong way along one-way Pembroke Road and eventually turning onto Kitt Green Lane.

Neighbours had reportedly observed her carrying out the same manoeuvre repeatedly over a period of approximately 12 months.

Prosecutors suggested that Murphy used the shortcut because it saved her time and allowed her to avoid driving around the housing estate in accordance with the normal road layout.

Mr Hall told the court that Murphy appeared to have disregarded the traffic restrictions in order to take what she considered to be a quicker route.

The weather conditions on the night of the tragedy also formed part of the evidence presented to the court.

A Met Office yellow warning for snow and ice had been issued for the area, beginning at 3am on January 9.

These conditions meant drivers were facing potentially hazardous roads during the period in which the collision occurred.

Meanwhile, Tomlinson had spent the evening at a friend’s property watching football and drinking.

According to the evidence, he eventually left with another friend and travelled to a different person’s flat.

The group later took a taxi to a petrol station, where they purchased additional alcohol.

They then returned to the flat on Kitt Green Road and continued drinking.

The property was relatively close to Tomlinson’s own home on Comet Road.

The court heard that Tomlinson was heavily intoxicated when he eventually left his friend’s flat.

Prosecutors also said he was believed to have consumed cocaine and cannabis.

Despite his level of intoxication, there initially appeared to be little reason for his friends to believe that he would be unable to make the short journey home.

Tomlinson had been able to use the toilet without assistance and had also managed to walk down the stairs on his own.

His friends therefore believed he was capable of making the approximately 500-metre walk back to his home.

However, CCTV footage later showed him struggling as he made his way along the road.

The footage captured Tomlinson stumbling before he eventually fell near a house on Pembroke Road at around 3.19am.

At the time, he was lying relatively close to the middle of the road.

He was wearing a black jacket with a distinctive fluffy hood, along with black trousers.

The evidence presented to the court showed that Tomlinson was aware he was in difficulty.

He made two telephone calls to friends after falling.

During one of those calls, he left a voicemail asking for assistance.

A friend who heard the message later described Tomlinson as being extremely drunk.

His speech was reportedly slurred, and he appeared confused about his location.

The friend said Tomlinson did not seem to know where he was.

It was during this period that Murphy was driving through the area.

The prosecution’s case centred on her driving behaviour, including her decision to travel along a one-way road in the wrong direction and her failure to properly clear her windscreen before setting off.

The collision occurred after Tomlinson had fallen into the road.

Murphy’s vehicle struck and passed over him.

The court heard that she then reversed before driving over him again.

The actions that followed became a major part of the prosecution’s evidence.

Murphy’s immediate response was reportedly to say that she had not seen Tomlinson.

However, her subsequent conversation with a friend indicated that she was aware that she had reversed over someone.

The prosecution also highlighted the comment allegedly made about Tomlinson while he remained underneath the car.

The description of him as a “smackhead” was presented as evidence of Murphy’s attitude toward the victim in the immediate aftermath of the incident.

The tragedy was compounded by the difficulties encountered by emergency responders.

Neighbours had spotted Tomlinson and contacted emergency services, hoping that urgent medical attention could save his life.

Yet neither police nor ambulance crews were able to locate him successfully at the time.

As a result, Tomlinson died at the scene.

The case has raised serious questions about road safety, responsible driving and the consequences of ignoring traffic regulations.

The prosecution’s evidence suggested that Murphy had repeatedly used the same prohibited route for months before the fatal incident.

Her decision to travel the wrong way along a one-way road was therefore presented as something that had become a familiar practice rather than an isolated mistake.

The hazardous weather conditions further emphasised the importance of caution.

Snow and ice can make roads considerably more difficult to navigate, reducing visibility and grip and increasing the risk of collisions.

The circumstances surrounding Tomlinson’s death were also tragic.

He had been drinking for several hours and was believed to have consumed drugs, but his friends initially believed he was capable of walking home because he had managed to move around independently.

His subsequent collapse left him in a highly vulnerable position in the road.

The CCTV footage and phone calls provided investigators with important evidence about his movements during the final stages of his life.

Tomlinson’s death has undoubtedly left his family and friends devastated.

For those who knew him, the tragedy represents the sudden loss of a 31-year-old man whose life ended during an ordinary journey home after spending an evening with friends.

Murphy’s guilty plea to causing death by dangerous driving means the court has accepted her responsibility for the offence.

However, the sentencing hearing was still required to determine the appropriate punishment for the seriousness of the crime.

She appeared before the judge at Bolton Crown Court on June 23 and was due to learn her sentence on June 24.

The case serves as a stark reminder of the potentially devastating consequences of dangerous driving.

A series of decisions made before and during the journey—including inadequate preparation of the vehicle, driving against the direction of traffic and continuing to manoeuvre after striking a person—ultimately contributed to a fatal outcome.

At the centre of the case is the loss of Darryl Tomlinson, who had fallen into the road while attempting to make his way home.

His final moments involved attempts to contact friends for help, but tragically, assistance did not reach him in time.

The investigation and subsequent court proceedings have reconstructed the events of that night, providing a detailed account of how the tragedy unfolded.

While the court will ultimately determine Murphy’s punishment, the consequences of the incident extend far beyond the courtroom.

A family has lost a loved one, friends have been left grieving, and a young woman now faces the lasting consequences of a decision that ended in the death of another person.

The case demonstrates why drivers must follow road rules, take weather and visibility conditions seriously and exercise extreme caution whenever they are behind the wheel.

Most importantly, it highlights how quickly a series of seemingly small decisions can result in irreversible consequences.