A man has been charged with causing death by dangerous driving following a fatal incident involving a member of HW Martin's staff while at work on 8 July on the M23.
Sussex police stated that emergency services were called to the southbound carriageway of the M23 at Junction 9 just prior to 1am on Wednesday 8 July after a van collided with a highways worker.
A 65-year-old man from Kent was sadly declared deceased at the scene. His next of kin are aware.
Vilius Domarkas, of no fixed address, was arrested at the scene and charged the same day. He appeared at Crawley Magistrates' Court on 9 July. He was then remanded into custody and is due to appear at Lewes Crown Court on 6 August.
In a statement, HW Martin said that its ‘thoughts and heartfelt condolences are with [their] colleague's family, friends and fellow colleagues at this incredibly difficult time.'
It added: 'This incident has had a profound impact across our business, particularly on those who worked closely with our colleague. Our immediate focus remains on supporting their family and the colleagues affected by this loss. The incident is the subject of ongoing enquiries by Sussex Police and the Health and Safety Executive, and we are fully cooperating with those investigations.'
The company's operations director, Andy Graham, said: ‘The tragic loss of one of our own has been felt deeply across every corner of our business. We have received countless messages of support from the highways industry, and it has been a real source of strength to us. Our focus now sits firmly with the wellbeing of the family and our work family. We thank everyone for their support and understanding.'
Detective Sergeant Rob Baldwin said: 'We are continuing to support the victim's family following this tragic incident.
'The investigation remains ongoing, and we continue to encourage anyone who witnessed the collision, or who has relevant information including dashcam footage to come forward.'
Highways will update our reporting on this once further details of the incident have been confirmed.
