Kentish Express Ashford & District
Crash death teen had ‘perfect life’
■ 17-year-old Millie killed after car hits tree, with three others left seriously hurt ■ Family pays tribute to talented girl who was about to celebrate her 18th birthday
The heartbroken parents of a teenage girl who died in a car crash say she was living a “perfect life”. Millie Greenway, 17, was a passenger in a silver Suzuki Swift travelling towards Egerton when it left the road and hit a tree at about 8.20pm on Saturday.
There were five other people in the vehicle and three others – a 19-year-old man, an 18-year-old man and a 17-year-old girl – remain in hospital in a serious but stable condition.
Tragically, Millie, who worked as an apprentice vehicle paint sprayer, died on the way to hospital.
Following her death, her parents Andy and Wendy and sister Sophie, from Shadoxhurst, have now shared their memories.
“She was in such a perfect moment in her life,” Andy said. “She was so happy that day, so full of everything.
“Millie had her dream job, her birthday was coming up, her driving test was due, she had her car and her boyfriend.”
Mum Wendy describes her daughter, who was a former North School pupil, as her “go-to person” who was her “absolute rock”.
“She was very comfortable around adults and had a very adult outlook,” Wendy said.
“When she was younger she was known as an eco-warrior.
“She was colourful, very vivacious, very feisty – a little firecracker. She wasn’t shy and would just provide entertainment to everyone.
“We foster and she had a massive role in that. She helped all the children feel like a part of the family.”
Andy said Millie – who was due to turn 18 on July 30 – “never left the house without different colour hair”.
Last September, she was over the moon when she was
accepted for an apprenticeship through the Volkswagen Group to spray-paint cars at Summers Motors, an accident repair centre in Biddenden.
She had attended Willesborough Infants and Juniors before moving to the North, where she enjoyed several school skiing trips.
Prior to getting her full-time job at Summers, Millie had also briefly attended Canterbury and Ashford colleges.
She had been looking forward to a family party to mark her milestone birthday, which had been organised a year in advance.
She had even posted about the event on Facebook on Saturday morning – just hours before she died.
Paying tribute, sister Sophie, 23, said: “She’ll be forever remembered for her beautiful smile, her amazing energy – and her terrifying temper.
“I wish I had more to say but for now all I can say is, ‘I love you, I miss you, and I hope you’re looking down on me sending me the courage I need to survive without you’.”
Andy says spraying cars was “all Millie wanted to do” from the age of 15.
He said: “It was her dream job – she was so happy when she got it and they treated her so well. She worked all through the coronavirus but eventually they ran out of work, and she was furloughed for three weeks.
“That was beautiful for us because we had her home.
“She went in last Wednesday and was nervous in case her job was at risk.
“But the manager had said to her ‘You’re everything we’ve ever wanted in an apprentice’.
“We had bought her a car, as she was due to take her test, and she had already spray-painted it a midnight blue colour.
“And now she’ll never get the chance to drive it.”
Away from work, Millie enjoyed long walks with the family dog, white German Shepherd Teddy, and playing with hamster Alvin, who she would let explore in his ball.
The Greenways are now planning a special event in the coming weeks to celebrate Millie’s life, and hope as many people as possible can attend.
They are still working out the final details and hope to release eco-friendly balloons.
The family has also set up a fundraiser in Millie’s memory, with proceeds going to Dandelion Time, a charity which supports vulnerable children and families.
So far, £3,465 of the £5,000 target has been raised.
On Saturday, the day she died, Millie had a two-hour driving lesson in the morning, and then in the afternoon spent time at her boyfriend Nick’s house, with his sister.
The girls had watched Frozen 2 together and plaited each others’ hair.
Later that night the couple joined friends at The Rose & Crown, near Pluckley.
It was after they left the pub the crash happened in Mundy Bois Road in Egerton, close to Kingsland Lane.
Millie’s parents say they hope people might think twice about who they get in a car with, after the group of six friends all got into the same vehicle.
Andy, a director of a construction company, said: “If she had asked me to come and pick her and one of the others up, I would have.
“But they were in the moment and they did it.”
Millie’s boyfriend Nick is one of the people who remain in hospital.
Andy said: “He was a passenger too and we wish him and his family all the best.”
■ To donate to the fundraiser, visit www.justgiving.com/ fundraising/sophie-greenway
Iloveyou and miss you, and I hope you’re looking down sending me the courage I need to survive without you…