A LORRY driver who admitted causing the death of a passenger in a crash on the Avon Ring Road will not go to jail.
A judge told Michael Ronner the right sentence for causing Tyler Carley’s death by careless driving was six months’ imprisonment.
But he said a change in the law, brought in a few days before Ronner pleaded guilty to the offence, meant he had to suspend the sentence.
The decision has been met with dismay by Tyler’s parents, who say they feel shocked and let down by the system.
Tyler, who was 20 and lived in Thornbury, died after the DAF scaffolding lorry he was a passenger in overturned on the A4174 near Mangotsfield on December 5, 2023.
He was thrown from the cab, suffering a fatal head injury.
Tyler’s friend and colleague Cameron Williams, from Downend, was also thrown from the cab and survived with minor injuries – but Bristol Crown Court heard that he took his own life the following year, aged 19, as a “direct result” of the psychological trauma he suffered.
The court was packed with around 45 of Tyler’s relatives and friends for June’s sentencing hearing.
They heard Ronner, 39, of Summer House Way, Warmley, had been drinking, should not have been driving the lorry and should not have been carrying two passengers.
Oliver Glyn-Jones, prosecuting, said Ronner’s licence to drive a lorry had expired.
The cab had only one passenger seat, and Tyler was sitting on the cab’s central console at the time of the crash.
Mr Glyn-Jones said after finishing a job in Radstock for employer MJD Scaffolding, Ronner had bought them each a bottle of Thatcher’s Katy cider, which they drank before setting off towards Pucklechurch.
Before he died, Cameron gave an account of the incident, describing how they were laughing and joking when Ronner looked over at Cameron and Tyler, taking his eyes off the road, and the lorry started moving into the inside lane.
Mr Glyn-Jones said: “He over-adjusted and the driver’s side struck the central barrier.
“The lorry flipped onto its side and ended up on the opposite side of the dual carriageway.”
As Cameron braced himself against the passenger door it came open. He and Tyler, who were not wearing seatbelts, were thrown through it.
Mr Glyn-Jones said Tyler died at the scene. Ronner was trapped in the cab and freed by Cameron.
A roadside breath test detected 36 micrograms of alcohol in 100ml of Ronner’s breath – above the legal limit of 35mcg. A blood test three hours later found 14mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood – below the legal limit of 80mg.
The lorry was travelling at 56mph, under the speed limit, and had no mechanical defects.
Tyler’s father Mark told the court about the impact of his son’s death.
He read messages from Tyler’s sisters Ronni and Skye, who said their lives had been changed forever.
Mark said: “We love Tyler and miss him every single day. No matter what punishment is given or how much time passes, that pain will never go away.”
In a statement, Tyler’s mum Gemma Showering said: “What is every parent’s nightmare is now my reality – my whole world collapsed around me and Tyler’s brother that night.”
Representing Ronner, Sam Jones said he had changed his plea to guilty in March, after expert reports agreed that the crash was caused by his “momentary lapse of concentration”.
He said Ronner, who had no previous convictions, had expressed “genuine remorse” and the case had caused huge stress and pressure, causing him to “turn to alcohol” .
Judge Edward Burgess told Ronner that the appropriate sentence after his late guilty plea would be six months in prison.
But he said change in Sentencing Council guidelines, introduced when the Sentencing Act 2026 came into effect in March, means any prison sentence of up to a year “must be suspended” unless there were exceptional circumstances that did not apply to the case.
The judge also told Ronner to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work and undergo treatment for alcohol dependency. He disqualified him from driving for 18 months and ordered him to pay £630 costs.
The Sentencing Act was brought in to tackle overcrowding in Britain’s prisons – had Ronner pleaded guilty before the law changed, he would have faced jail.
Afterwards Tyler’s dad Mark said: “I just feel let down by the system.
“A suspended sentence is hardly a punishment.
“The judge has got his hands tied and has to do what’s in front of him.
“The country just hasn’t got any space in its prisons so people are going to get let off – in what world is that right?”
Tyler’s mum Gemma said: “It’s shocking. I’m just so disgusted that people get such light sentences.
“I do believe the guidelines need to really be looked at – it might stop the prisons becoming full if people actually feared punishments more.”
‘We are proud of Cameron’
THE family of Cameron Williams have paid tribute to his “extraordinary bravery” in the aftermath of the collision.
His grandmother Karen Parker said the Downend teenager had tried to help Tyler and had broken the lorry’s windscreen to get Ronner out.
Speaking on behalf of Cameron’s mother Melissa Care and the rest of the family, Karen said: “Whilst nothing can change what happened that night, we would like people to remember Cameron for the incredible courage and selflessness he showed.
“In the aftermath of the collision and despite the trauma and shock of what happened, Cameron did everything he could to help Tyler and those involved in the accident.
“Cameron was only 18 years old at the time, but his actions that night showed extraordinary bravery, compassion and strength of character.
“We want people to know just how proud we are of him.
“In the face of an unimaginable situation, Cameron’s instinct was to help others. That is the person he was, and that is how we will always remember him.
“Whilst we live with the heartbreak of losing Cameron every day, we take comfort in believing that Cameron and Tyler are together, looking after one another.
“Our thoughts, love and support are always with Tyler’s family and friends, who have shown incredible strength, dignity and courage throughout such a devastating time.
“We are also deeply grateful for the kindness, love and support they have shown our family in return. The bond created through such a tragic loss is something we will always cherish.
“We are immensely proud of Cameron, and we hope he is remembered not only for the life he lived, but for the remarkable bravery, selflessness and kindness he showed when it mattered most.”
