Emergency operator dispatched ambulance and police to the wrong address after man found collapsed in the street - leading to him being run over and killed, report finds

By JOSHUA HAINING, NEWS REPORTER Published: 12:35, 29 June 2026 | Updated: 12:37, 29 June 2026 A 999 operator dispatched an ambulance and police to the wrong address after a man was found collapsed in the street - leading to him being run over and killed, a report has revealed. North West Ambulance Service apologised over failings at the organisation this week after emergency services did not find Darryl Tomlinson, 31, before he was killed. The amateur footballer slipped over and collapsed in the middle of an icy road in Marsh Green, Wigan, at 5.00am after a night drinking on January 9 last year. He was spotted lying on the ground in the freezing cold by a passerby who called 999 and gave the location to an unnamed rookie call handler. But the operator, who had only just completed their training, noted down a partial address meaning emergency services left the area after failing to find Mr Tomlinson.  More than two hours later, Megan Murphy, 26, drove her Citroen DS3 the wrong way down the one-way street and ran over Mr Tomlinson, who was slumped on the road, three times. After hitting Mr Tomlinson, Murphy lied to the police and told them 'I didn't see him', after she had just admitted to a friend that she had just 'reversed over him'. She also called him a 'smackhead' while he lay dying under her car, Bolton Crown Court heard. Amateur footballer Darryl Tomlinson had been out drinking with friends and collapsed in the middle of the road in Wigan on January 9 last year before he was run over CrossFit trainer Megan Murphy, 26, ran Mr Tomlinson over three times while driving the wrong way down a one way street with her windscreen covered with ice  Mr Tomlinson was almost saved after a 999 call alerted them to him lying in the road, but paramedics and police could not find him as they both had incorrectly recorded the address given in their systems  Paramedics then rushed back to the crash in Wigan, Greater Manchester, after a second 999 call was made to a different handler. Sadly, emergency responders were unable to save Darryl's life who died 20 minutes later at the roadside from his injuries. An inquiry into the incident revealed that the first call handler had recently completed six weeks of training for their Emergency Medical Advisor role and had just begun a three-week 'mentorship' period. The operator, who received the second emergency call, was also new and had not yet dealt with an emergency call involving trauma. They failed to give correct advice to the caller on giving CPR to Mr Tomlinson as the phone was apparently passed around to three different people during the call. The report said: 'The investigation found that the initial 999 call for Darryl, was the most challenging call that had been received and managed by the Emergency Medical Advisor in their NWAS career to that point. 'It was determined that cognitive factors such as confusion, and psychological factors such as stress, along with competence and skills, all contributed to Darryl's location not being identified correctly by NWAS during the initial 999 call. 'The location provided by the caller, was Stranraer Road, in the Marsh Green area of Wigan but the location recorded by NWAS was Marsh Green, Wigan.  Mr Tomlinson lay collapsed in the road for more than two hours in the freezing cold until he was run over three times and killed by Murphy 'This error led to the Emergency Ambulance along with Greater Manchester Police being sent to the incorrect location.' If Darryl's location had been identified correctly following the first 999 call, emergency responders would have treated him before he was hit and killed by Murphy, the report said. 'The investigation found that the subsequent 999 call for Darryl, when he had been struck by a vehicle whilst in the road, was also not managed appropriately in line with NWAS call handling and dispatch guidelines. 'There were again difficulties in obtaining Darryl's location and there was a delay in NWAS offering CPR advice to the 999 caller.  'The NWAS staff involved in the second 999 call had also only recently completed their Emergency Medical Advisor training and were also in their mentorship period.' The report also acknowledged the need to strengthen training and mentorship programmes among staff, improve 'the usability of location systems' and ensure 'robust escalation procedures when patients cannot be found.'  It added: 'This investigation has identified areas and improvement, along with recommendations and safety actions aimed at reducing the risk of a similar incident occurring in the future.'  The killer CrossFit trainer, Murphy was jailed for six years on June 24 after causing death by dangerous driving. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. 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