Family of ‘kind hearted’ driver killed on M27 pay tribute
Michal Kaminski, 36, was driving on the M27 near junction five for Southampton Airport when a Nissan Juke and VW Polo next to him collided. The Polo driver had been speeding at 90mph, despite treacherous weather conditions, and lost control of the vehicle. Michal, known as Mike, was forced to swerve and his Mercedes lorry hit the concrete pillar of a gantry and later burst into flames.
He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Mike's brother, Rafal, 34, said: "Mike was not only my big brother but my best friend. We did everything together and he was the person I looked up to.
"He was a kind-hearted person and everyone he met said the same. The day the police knocked on my door to say Mike had been involved in a collision was the worst day of my life. At that point our family changed forever.
"Mike was one of life's good guys. He enjoyed playing and watching football and films. He was a big movie fan and would collect figures from Marvel movies.
"We remain devastated that he's no longer with us. The collision has turned mine and my parents' life upside down. It's meant so much to me. "However, I just hope that by sharing our family's story we can make others think twice about the consequences of their actions. I wouldn't wish the pain we've been left to face on anyone."
Mike, who was originally from Poland, moved to the UK around 10 years ago. He worked as a driver for a flooring firm and was delivering goods when the crash happened on the westbound carriageway shortly after 12.30pm. The driver of the VW Polo, Ross Neiland, 38, of Littlehampton, was jailed for nine years and nine months on January 21.
He had previously pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving, causing death whilst driving uninsured, driving without a licence and failing to give a specimen. Southampton Crown Court was told Neiland had tested positive for cocaine during a drug test administered shortly after the collision, although he later refused to provide a specimen of blood taken at the hospital. Witnesses also described him as smelling of alcohol at the crash scene, the court was told.
Following the incident which happened on February, 21 2022, Mike's family instructed expert road accident lawyers at Irwin Mitchell to help them access the specialist support they require. Rafal, whom Mike lived and worked with, has now joined his legal team in issuing a road safety plea. Lauren Haas, the specialist road accident lawyer at Irwin Mitchell's Southampton office representing Rafal, said: "Understandably Rafal and his parents remain devastated by Mike's needless death which the judge at sentencing described as wholly avoidable.
"In my professional experience, the fallout from such incidents has a life-changing effect not just for the victims but also their loved ones left trying to pick up the pieces. "While nothing will make up for Mike's death we hope this case will act as a deterrent and make drivers think about the consequences of their actions, so the number of people killed or badly injured on our roads reduces. The three people inside the Polo tried to flee the scene. Neiland returned to remove stolen goods from the boot of the car before leaving the other injured victim in their Nissan Juke and running off. However, witnesses who stopped their cars ran after the driver and detained him, Southampton Crown Court was told.
In pre-sentencing reports the court was told that Neiland admitted to taking cocaine and heroin until midnight on January 20 and he was on the way back from a shoplifting spree in Portsmouth when the crash happened.
Neiland also banned from driving for 14-and-a-half years.
References