Mum of Kidderminster teen killed in crash calling for tougher laws on newly qualified drivers
Leanne Vaughan's daughter Lily-May was killed on the 4 February 2023 when her boyfriend lost control of their car and collided with a telegraph pole in Shropshire
Last updated 1st Sep 2025
The mum of a Kidderminster teenager killed in a crash in Shropshire is calling for new laws to be introduced for newly qualified drivers.
17-year-old Lily-May Vaughan died after the car she was a passenger in collided with a telegraph pole on an unnamed road in Shawbury Heath on 4 February 2023.
Driver of the vehicle Logan Addison, who was also Lily-May's boyfriend, was sentenced last week at Shrewsbury Crown Court to five years and six months in prison after he was found guilty of causing her death dangerous driving.
The 20-year-old had denied he was driving dangerously before he lost control of the car he was driving, and during the week-long trial held in April he maintained a story that he lost control of his vehicle when he swerved to avoid another car.
However, witnesses said they saw Addison, who was 17 at the time of the incident, driving at speed and dangerously before the collision happened.
Lily-May Vaughan died at the scene while Addison suffered serious injuries and was taken to hospital where he underwent emergency surgery.
Now Lily-May's mum Leanne Vaughan has joined the Forget-Me-Not Families Uniting group, a group set-up for bereaved parents and families whose loved ones were all killed by cars driven by young drivers.
She says she wants there to be new laws brought into place for newly qualified drivers.
"I think that deaths would be drastically reduced if we just said for six months (these drivers) didn't carry passengers," she said.
"We're not taking away the independence of the driver, just maybe for example if you could do your driving lessons at 17 and gain all this really good experience but then not hold a license until you're 18 and an adult.
"Enough is enough, I think there's something wrong with our driving legislation because we're giving these 17-year-olds loads and loads of responsibility."
Leanne has also been working with national charity for road crash victims RoadPeace and receiving support from them.
She's described her daughter Lily-May as 'precious' and 'everyone's best friend'.
"Lily-May was just beautiful inside and outside, she was one of these people who would light up the room and had a cracking personality," she said.
"She was also very caring, she loved animals, since she could talk she said she wanted a dog, but she was everyone's best friend because she always had time for people and she'd sense when you were sad and she'd cheer you up.
"When I got the phone call to say she had died, it was like an electric shock, my brain just couldn't process how this could be true, that the person I love so much and look after isn't here anymore."
Government is 'already taking action'
In response, the Department for Transport (DfT) said it was developing a new road safety strategy to ensure the UK's roads remain among the safest in the world.
It added the Future of Roads Minister regularly meets families of young people killed on our roads to help better inform our efforts to tackle this problem and protect young drivers.
A spokesperson for them said: “Every death on our roads is a tragedy and our thoughts are with everyone who has lost a loved one in this way.
“Whilst we are not considering Graduated Driving Licences (GDLs), we absolutely recognise that young people are disproportionately victims of tragic incidents on our roads.
"We are already taking action to tackle this, including through our THINK! campaign, which has a focus on men aged 17-24 as they are four times more likely to be killed or seriously injured than other drivers."
Following his sentencing, Addison was also banned from driving for eight years which will start following his release from prison.