Mother Jailed for Killing Farmer While Distracted by Snapchat

A mother who fatally collided with a farmer while distracted by Snapchat on her mobile phone has been jailed.

Ami Dronsfield, 36, was driving from her home in Glanton, Northumberland, to a hair appointment in Alnwick when she struck Michael Armstrong, 58, in November 2024.

The mother of two was using her phone and failed to spot Mr Armstrong’s quad bike in time to stop. The collision left the farmer with catastrophic injuries.

Mr Armstrong was taken to hospital in Newcastle, where doctors placed him in an induced coma. He remained on life support for 11 days.

Following medical advice, his family eventually made the decision to turn off the life support.

Dronsfield admitted causing death by dangerous driving and was sentenced to three years and two months at Newcastle Crown Court.

She will spend 19 months in custody before being released on licence. She has also been banned from driving for six years and seven months.

The court heard that she had not created, sent or received any messages or made or answered calls during the seven seconds when her phone was active.

However, the phone had been unlocked, and both WhatsApp and Snapchat had been active for brief periods.

Judge Robert Adams said the crash happened in darkness and that the light from the phone would have been distracting.

He accepted that the distraction had lasted “a very short period” but said it had “fatal consequences”. There was “no question that she failed to see the quad bike during that time”, he added.

The court heard that Dronsfield called 999 after the crash and appeared to be in shock. She was heard saying: “Oh my God, what if I’ve killed him.” Tests showed she had not been drinking alcohol or taking drugs.

CHECK THIS OUT: Keshia Chanté Pregnant: Fans Question Whether Drake Is the Father

A forensic examination of her phone found that it had been active on two occasions, each lasting only a few seconds.

At 4.59pm on the day of the collision, the device was unlocked. WhatsApp was opened by pressing its icon, then closed before the phone was locked again.

The phone lit up again at 5.02pm and was unlocked using either a PIN or facial recognition. Snapchat was briefly activated seconds before the collision. The car’s emergency brake was applied two seconds before the crash.

The court also heard a statement from Mr Armstrong’s family, who described their devastation at his death.

His wife of 28 years told the court that her husband had left home that evening to visit his elderly father, saying: “I’m off, I’ll see you soon.” They were his final words.

After hearing about the crash, Mrs Armstrong and her son made their way to the collision site and saw a scene that was ‘beyond horrific’.

Mrs Armstrong said ‘time will never erase that horrific scene’ after she saw that ‘in the wreckage was my beautiful husband Michael’. She had been with her husband for 28 years and described him as her best friend and soul mate.

At his bedside in hospital, the family ‘prayed for a miracle which deep down they knew wouldn’t happen’. They said their goodbyes to Mr Armstrong on his son’s 21st birthday.

The court was told that Dronsfield, who was of previous good character and had worked for Northumberland County Council for 17 years, was deeply remorseful for the ‘devastating impact my actions have had’ and wished she could turn back time.

She said in a letter: ‘I’m truly ashamed and sorry beyond words’ and pointed out ‘how quickly one mistake can have such devastating consequences.’

‘I regret my actions more than words can express’, before adding it was ‘a guilt I will never overcome’.

Passing sentence, Judge Adams said: ‘Nothing I can say and no sentence that I can pass will begin to make up for the loss suffered by Michael Armstrong’s family and friends. I’m well aware that the sentence is far too low but the sentence will be in accordance with the law.’