Parents of Durham lorry crash victim campaign for road safety
A Durham mam and dad talk about the heartache of losing their only son as we can reveal more people are killed on our roads.
A Durham mum and dad relive every parent’s worst nightmare, as figures show more people are killed on North East roads.
Jake Thompson was just 27 years old when he was struck on a pedestrian crossing by a speeding lorry in Bristol.
His parents, John and Janet rushed there to be with him, but Jake sadly died five days later. Janet said:
“It was absolutely horrendous when we found out what had happened, we’d been called by the police on an ordinary Friday afternoon to say that Jake had been involved in a road crash.
“He never ever regained consciousness. It’s been an absolutely life changing event for us, no parent should ever have to go through it and you never really get over it.”
It’s as the latest figures show 922 people were either killed or seriously injured on North East roads last year, an increase of 12% from 2014.
This weekend those affected by road crashes will meet at Durham Cathedral to remember lost loved ones and thank the emergency services for all the work they do to protect road users. Jakes dad John said:
“It’s a time for us to get together and remember those people we’ve lost and celebrate their lives. To support each other but also to give thanks to the services who try valiantly to reduce those crashes.”
A Service of Reflection and Remembrance for Road Crash Victims will begin at Durham Cathedral at 10.30am tomorrow (Saturday). Find out more here:
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