Tragic father killed in M6 smash will 'never meet first grandchild'

But within hours his life was tragically taken by a “distracted” lorry driver who failed to spot his car and trailer parked on the inside lane of the motorway.

The lorry crashed into the back of the trailer at speed. Mr Marston was caught between it and his Mercedes E300 estate.

Other motorists immediately parked up and ran to try to help both Mr Marston and 30-year-old Michael Preston, whose lorry had ended up on its roof down an embankment.

But nothing could be done to save 54-year-old Mr Marston of Leegomery, Telford, who had stopped to refuel.

His widow, Sue, and two children, Laura and Luke, have had to come to terms with life without him. Luke has since become engaged and bought a house while Laura is expecting a child who would have been Mr Marston’s first grandchild.

At Wolverhampton Crown Court yesterday Preston, of Matlock Avenue, Dawley, Telford, was jailed for 32 months. During the sentencing hearing there were emotional tributes to Mr Marston from his widow and daughter.

Mrs Marston said: “Tony brought fun and surprise to my life which will never be replaced.

“I know I have to move forward but it is so hard. We always had a great many friends and would be invited out as a couple. Our friends continue to invite me, but it is so hard to walk into a party on my own without him.”

Mr Marston’s daughter Laura Ponter added: “My brother has just become engaged and bought a house. These are moments dad would have been so proud of. I am expecting his first grandchild, one he will never meet and he will never know even existed. On the way home from the airport that morning we had laughed about stories from the wedding.

“That was the last time I saw him. He didn’t even have chance to see the wedding pictures.

“He really was the best dad in the world and I know being a granddad would have been the best days of his life.”

The crash took place on August 21 last year on a section of ‘smart motorway’ between junction 10 of the M6, for Wolverhampton, and junction 10A, for the M54. All four lanes were in use.

Yesterday’s hearing heard Mr Marston was in Preston’s view for 365m, which took around 14 seconds for him to cover. Preston only reacted less than a second before the crash. A judge said he “must have been avoidably distracted”.

He had previously admitted causing Mr Marston’s death by dangerous driving.