Aaron Jarvis was a 'fun-loving' and 'free-spirited' man who was on his way to a party. He had no idea that the actions of just one man - who was behind the wheel of the car that Aaron was a passenger in - would soon cause a tragedy.
31-year-old Aaron was sat in the back of a silver BMW 320D that was being driven by Usher Donson. Donson had left the Bloom bar in Manchester's Gay Village and was driving to a party in Bury with four others in the early hours of November 4, 2021.
But disaster struck at around 6.05am when Donson 'lost control' of the car, which veered over to the other side of Bury New Road near Whitefield, travelling at around 42mph. The car smashed into a Renault Megane and Ford Transit Van, instantly causing devastation.
Try MEN Premium for FREE by clicking here for no ads, fun puzzles and brilliant new features.
The three back-seat passengers were rushed to Salford Hospital from the scene. One sustained a ruptured spleen and bone fractures. Aaron, 31, tragically lost his life later that same day.
Instead of remaining at the crash site, a cowardly Donson, along with the other front passenger, fled the scene on foot. They ran towards a nearby residential estate before CCTV showed a taxi leaving the area.
After Aaron's death, tributes flooded in as a vigil was held in Sackville Gardens to remember the popular bar manager, who worked at Tribeca in Manchester's Gay Village.
Floral and handwritten messages were left along Sackville Street as balloons were released into the air at the moving nighttime memorial just four days after the fatal collision.
The 31-year-old, originally from Stoke-on-Trent, was fondly remembered by his heartbroken family as a 'fun-loving, free-spirited party-loving lad that just loved everyone'.
"He will be missed by everyone who had the privilege of knowing him," they said. "We miss him more than words can say and love him with all of our hearts."
"He was like an anchor holding us together no matter what," said friend and colleague Hazel O'Keefe. "He was a good person, fun, kind, considerate and always went the extra mile for the people he cared for."
And as Aaron's emotional family, friends and colleagues gathered together to mourn and remember him, Donson was desperately attempting to evade police, regularly moving between areas in southern England.
It was not until months later, in August 2022, that he was finally arrested at a flat in Luton by officers at Bedfordshire Police and later charged.
Following a five-day trial at Bolton Crown Court earlier this month, Donson was found guilty by jurors of causing death by dangerous driving and causing serious injury by dangerous driving.
The court heard how the BMW had been travelling along the M602 and M60 before leaving the motorway and travelling along Bury New Road on the morning of November 4 2021. CCTV showed how the vehicle 'lost control' and went over to the wrong side of the carriageway before the smash.
Donson was sentenced at Minshull Street Crown Court on Wednesday (June 28) to seven years and six months imprisonment. He was also disqualified from driving for ten years and ordered to pay a victim surcharge.
Sergeant Andrew Page, of GMP’s Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said: “Today’s sentencing is the result of a lengthy investigation. Extensive work was conducted by the police to locate Donson after he left the scene of the collision.
"It appears he was actively evading capture since the collision occurred before his arrest in August 2022. Donson made it extremely difficult for us to locate him by moving back and forth between areas of southern England.
“It took a coordinated effort from the Officer in the Case, Greater Manchester’s Force Critical Wanted Unit and Bedfordshire Police in order to locate Donson, where he was subsequently arrested at a flat in Luton on Monday 22 August 2022 by colleagues at Bedfordshire Police.
"I would like to thank all parties who were involved in this operation, their tenacity in getting justice for the victims of this case has led to today’s result.”
