The Black Dog road safety partnership

Memories

Ashley Brixey

Ashley had gone out on the Saturday night with some friends. He was supposed to be staying out that night but for some reason, which we don’t know why, they headed back.

Ashley got into the back of a car; a 17-year-old girl got into the passenger seat and Ashley’s friend Richard got into the driving seat – twice over the legal driving limit and with an abusive level of drugs in his system after taking ecstasy.

Richard lost control of the car on a left-hand bend, and the car went up an embankment, through a garden fence and landed upside down in a swimming pool.

The 17-year-old girl was thrown from the car into the pool and managed to get out. The driver also got out but Ashley had been knocked unconscious during the crash and couldn’t get out by himself. The emergency services got Ashley out of the car and tried to revive him unsuccessfully. Ashley drowned.

The police officer came to our door at 3 o’clock in the morning. Ivan, my husband, got up thinking it was Ashley, but the officer told us that Ashley had been in a serious road incident and died.

I just went into shock. I just wanted to curl up in a corner and die.
Since Ashley’s death I don’t react in the same way to things. A lot of things don’t seem as important any more.

If Ashley taught me anything it is that life is precious. I feel closer to him when I am laughing because that’s what he did every day.

The driver of the car was charged with death by dangerous driving and was sentenced to three years in prison.

I wanted Richard to go to prison as an example to others but it didn’t matter to me what sentence he was given because it’s not going to bring Ashley back. Richard’s real sentence will be having to live with the knowledge that he killed my son – his friend.

Mathew Williams

Mathew was so pleased when he passed his driving test and excited to have his own independence.

On the 6th February 2008 we were both so proud that evening when we attended parents evening where Mathew was doing a motor vehicle course, how quickly things can change with the press of a door bell.

When the policeman walked through the door we instantly knew that the worst thing you could ever imagine had happened and our lives would never, ever be the same again.

To go and see your beautiful child lying could, bruised battered and smelling of petrol will live with us forever; to arrange a funeral, not knowing what Mathew would have wanted as it’s not something parents discuss with their children, feeling that in one week you have to do everything right as you will never get another chance.

Watching so many sad faces hearing so many young oeioke cry is such a haunting feeling.

Our family, Mathews brother, sister, grandparents feel devastated, knowing that our lives will never be the same, people tell us that “time is a great healer” – rubbish, time will not allow us to adjust and accept that we have to find a new way to live without the boy who had the dirtiest laugh and the contagious smile.

Anne Williams (Mother) – October 08