Wife of Bognor man killed in crash support police campaign

On the evening of June 26, 2024, emergency services were called to the A29 Shripney Road, in Bognor.[1] Tony Daniels, 46, had been driving with his wife, Jade, when they were struck by a black Audi A3 travelling in the opposite direction. Despite the best efforts of passers-by and paramedics, Tony, from Felpham, was declared deceased at the scene.

Following the incident, the Audi driver - identified as 25-year-old Louie Everitt, of The Croft, in Bersted, near Bognor - was arrested and later charged with causing death by dangerous driving, causing death while driving uninsured and failing to give permission for a test on a laboratory sample, having caused a death. Louie Everitt was jailed for 8 years at a sentencing in December 2024 (Image: Sussex Police) At the scene, police reported Everitt to smell strongly of alcohol.

However, he refused to provide a sample of saliva or blood for analysis to test if he was over the legal limit. Witnesses also told officers they had seen him speeding, tailgating and overtaking other vehicles prior to the collision, with one witness reported him driving "like a lunatic". At a sentencing in December last year, Everitt was sentenced to a total of eight years' imprisonment, reduced from 12 years for his early guilty pleas.[2]

More than a year on from the fatal crash, Jade Daniels has spoken out on the impact Tony's death has had on herself, family, and the local community as part of police led campaign. Speaking to The Argus, she said: "Unless you've been through it or something similar, you never realise how if effects a family's life. "It's not just me who's lost my husband, his parents have lost their son.

It's been really hard on them. My family loved him lots too. "It's the ripple effect across everyone, including his friends."

Jade was also seriously injured in the crash but highlighted how the mental damage has been far worse. Emergency services were called to the collision in June 2024 (Image: Sussex News and Pictures) Earlier this year, Sussex Police officially launched their Fatal Five Unit, which looks to specifically tackle the five most common causes of fatal and serious injury collisions: drink and drug driving, speeding, failing to wear a seatbelt, distracted driving, careless driving.

Jade showed her support for the scheme, hoping it will encourage people to think about the impact of their actions. "It's obviously a really good thing and will help to prevent something like what we've been through from happening again. "I'd hate for it to happen to somebody else," she said.

Wife of 'kind-hearted' man killed in crash raises awareness of impact of drink drivin (Image: Sussex Police) Jade described Tony, who she married in September 2021, as a "kind-hearted, friendly guy" who "everyone loved so much". Known by many as Tony Tiger, Jade also highlighted the huge amount of support she had received from people across the community.

In a tribute shared by Sussex Police following Everitt's sentencing, she said: "Antony - Tony Tiger - was the heart of our family. "His laughter filled our home, and his kindness touched everyone he met. When he was taken from us so suddenly, our world changed in an instant.

The loss left a silence that still feels heavy, and a space that can never truly be filled. "As a family, we grieve not only the man we lost, but the future moments we were meant to share - birthdays, quiet conversations and ordinary days that were extraordinary simply because he was there. Yet even in our grief, Antony's love continues to guide us."

The new fatal five unit is funded via a combination of local taxpayers' contributions to the police precept and National Driver Offender Retraining Schemes. The unit is part of PCC Katy Bourne's manifesto commitment to reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured on Sussex roads Police and Crime[3] Commissioner, Katy Bourne said: "Dangerous driving is putting lives at risk every single day - and our residents have had enough.

"Speeding and antisocial driving are among the most frequent concerns raised with me by local people right across Sussex. "With more than 45,000 drivers caught speeding by our community speedwatch volunteers last year and thousands more reported through Operation Crackdown, the message from the public is clear: they want action. "That's why I've backed the Fatal Five Roads Unit - an intelligence led team targeting the most dangerous driving behaviours."

Chief Constable Jo Shiner, who is also the roads policing lead for the National Police Chiefs' Council, added: "The fatal five unit looks to target those road traffic offences which are likely to lead to death or serious injuries on our roads. "This unit has already had a positive impact, having been in place for the last few months. We've already seen an increase in prosecution."

The force hopes an increase in education and police visibility on roads will also help to decrease traffic offences across the county.

References

1. ^ emergency services were called to the A29 Shripney Road, in Bognor. (www.theargus.co.uk)
2. ^ At a sentencing in December last year, Everitt was sentenced to a total of eight years' imprisonment, reduced from 12 years for his early guilty pleas. (www.theargus.co.uk)
3. ^ Crime (www.theargus.co.uk)