Ambulance report finds Darryl Tomlinson would not have been hit by car if help had arrived sooner
The North West Ambulance Service has admitted failings following an internal investigation into the death of Darryl Tomlinson in Wigan, concluding he would have been found and treated before being hit by a car if the first 999 call had been handled correctly.
The findings relate to events on the morning of 9 January 2025, when 31-year-old Darryl was lying in the road on Pembroke Road in Marsh Green. Darryl had fallen while walking home from a night at a friend’s house.
At around 5.05am, a member of the public made a 999 call from Kitt Green Road, Marsh Green, reporting a man in the road. She gave her address as Kitt Green Road, Marsh Green, and said the casualty was lying on Pembroke Road. However, the ambulance service recorded the incident location incorrectly, logging it only as “Marsh Green”.
Because of that error, an ambulance crew and Greater Manchester Police were dispatched to the wrong location. Responders attended the recorded location but could not find anyone. With no casualty located, they left the scene.
Darryl remained on Pembroke Road, where he was later struck by a car driven by Megan Murphy. Murphy, of Lord Street in Ince, drove the wrong way down the road with her windscreen frozen over. She hit Darryl, then reversed over him before driving forward again. He died at the scene.
She has since been jailed for six years after admitting causing death by dangerous driving at Bolton Crown Court.
The NWAS investigation concluded that if the first 999 call had been handled correctly and the location properly identified, Darryl would have been found and treated before the collision, with the key findings:
“..an earlier ambulance attendance and timely clinical treatment would have prevented Darryl from being struck by the car.”
and “Had Darryl’s location been identified correctly following the initial 999 call, he would have been attended to by the emergency ambulance and assessed/treated prior to being struck by the car…”
The investigation also noted that Darryl’s condition before he was hit is unknown. While he was reported to be awake when a second 999 call was made after the collision, the report said it could not determine whether the outcome would have changed after that point. However, at Bolton Crown Court, Darryl’s cause of death was confirmed as chest injuries and acute alcohol toxicity, with the judge stating the alcohol was not a cause, but accelerated his condition.
NWAS said it “acknowledges, and sincerely apologises for, the mistakes made during the management of the 999 calls received for Darryl” and “deeply regrets the shortcomings in our response”.
The report also highlighted further issues with a second 999 call made after Darryl had already been struck, including difficulties confirming the exact location and delays in providing CPR advice.
In a statement given to what’s happening in Wigan, the North West Ambulance Service said:
“We are sorry for the mistakes made in the management of the 999 calls received for Darryl, and we deeply regret the shortcomings in our response. We have been open with Darryl’s family throughout and are committed to taking action following what happened, to reduce the risk of this happening again.”
The service said changes have now been introduced, including additional training for Emergency Medical Advisors, and improved procedures for situations where a caller’s location is unclear or cannot be easily identified.
NWAS also said it had been fully transparent about its role in the incident throughout the investigation. The service said the case was reported internally by a duty manager immediately after Darryl’s death, triggering a formal investigation into what happened.
The ambulance service also said Darryl’s family were involved throughout the process, helping to shape key lines of enquiry and ensuring their perspective was reflected in the findings, and were provided with the full investigation report.
Darryl’s father, Paul Tomlinson, said the findings confirmed concerns the family had raised since the day his son died.
“She took his life, but the ambulance service cost him his life, and that’s what I want them to say,” he said.
“She took his life, and she did and said some terrible things that night, but ultimately the ambulance didn’t do their job. He was alive when that car hit him. We’ve had meetings with the ambulance service, and they’ve admitted to all their failings, how they let us and Darryl down so badly, but they cost Darryl his life.”
He added that while Murphy has now been jailed, questions remain about how the emergency response was handled.
“They’ve apologised and admitted mistakes were made, but I still feel they’ve fallen short. It’s okay them saying sorry, but that doesn’t bring our son back. I think it’s only right we tell the whole story because the person in question pleaded guilty, but they’re a public service, and they never get mentioned.
“They failed us massively, on every level, everything they should have done, they didn’t. They’re there to save lives, and that night, our son’s life wasn’t saved due to their failings, and that’s hard for us to take.”
These are the victim impact statements from Darryl’s mum, dad and brother which were read out in court:
Darryl’s mum Michelle: “Darryl was my first born, I gave birth to him at 26 weeks weighing only 2lb 4oz, he was so small. I didn’t think he would make it but being the little fighter that he was, he did and overcame all obstacles and became a loving and caring young man.
“Darryl would do anything for anyone and from being able to walk he loved football.
“I struggle to put into words how I feel about losing my son, and all I can say is that I really don’t feel anything anymore since losing Darryl. Whether I go to work or just go out, I try to laugh and joke and put on a brave face but in fact I am just empty inside like something is missing, and that’s Darryl.”
Darryl’s dad Paul: “The day Darryl was taken from us on 9th Jan 2025, my life changed forever.
“I felt as though I had died inside but as still breathing. My heart had been totally ripped out. You cannot explain the loss of a child unless you have suffered it. It’s a pain and emptiness like nothing you will ever experience.
“I talk to Darryl every single day shedding tears every time. It hasn’t gotten any easier, I’m just learning to live without him as no one ever prepares to lose a child.”
Darryl’s brother Lee: “Where do I start… Never did I think I would have to write a Victim Impact Statement about my brother. Darryl was not just my brother, he was my best friend, my idol, my biggest supporter, and since the day my brother got taken away from me, I feel like he took a piece of me with him.
“I can’t and never will understand why this person responsible for my brother’s death did not defrost her window and drove the wrong way down a one-way street with no vision.
“To then learn that she made a phone call to a friend claiming, “I’ve ran him over but it’s a smackhead” and not even phoned for an ambulance has hurt me more.”
