Parents of tragic Megan back tyre safety campaign
THE parents of a young woman who was killed in a tragic crash are appealing for motorists to check their vehicle’s tyres regularly in a moving video campaign.
Megan Byrne was just 22 when she lost her life while driving - and her parents John and Joanne Byrne are determined that no family should suffer the pain they have.
Megan had been staying with her boyfriend and was on her way home to visit some friends for lunch, and then to see her mum on Thursday, February 20, 2020.
She had a “zest for life” and was excited for her future having recently qualified as a primary school teacher. But weather conditons were poor, with high winds, rain and sleet, and as she approached a left-hand bend on Elton Road between Haslingden and Belthorn she lost control of her car and crossed into the opposite lane, and collided with a large family car.
Police officers, firefighters and paramedics rushed to the scene, but the impact of the crash was so severe that Megan was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police collision investigators confirmed that Megan was driving within the speed limit and was wearing a seat belt at the time.
However, two of the tyres on Megan’s car were underinflated, a major contributory factor in the crash.
Her mum and dad have spoken candidly about the day’s events and how it took the loss of their “fantastic daughter” to realise how important tyre safety is.
John and Joanne have worked with TyreSafe and the Lancashire Road Safety partnership to create a video tribute to their daughter. Holding back tears, Joanne told of the moment police came to break the news that no parent ever wants to hear. That Megan had died.
“The police officer said Joanne you need to sit down, it’s Megan. So then I just said ‘oh please tell me it’s not bad news’ and then they just said yeah, she’s been involved in an accident and she’s passed away.”
Now the family are determined to use Megan’s tragic story to highlight the importance of tyre safety checks and to show how driving with underinflated tyres can have catastrophic consequences.
Joanne said: “We wanted to share Megan’s story as we certainly don’t want anyone else to go through what we have. It has taught me a lesson to check my tyres as I never used to do it - it’s such a shame that Megan has had to pass away for me to realise that.”
John, Megan’s dad, added: “She had a fantastic spirit about her - Megan would light up a room. We all miss her terribly. My advice is, don’t rely on your car’s tech. Go to all four corners of your car, get down, put a pressure gauge on it, and check it.”
Emergency services are also supporting the campaign, including Sgt Steve Hardman of Lancashire Police, who attended the scene. He said: “It was a very unique set of circumstances that we were also faced with adverse weather conditions, there was strong winds, rain, sleet, surface water, one of the contributory factors was that the offside tyres of Megan’s vehicle were significantly underinflated.”
He added: “Certainly this case has had a massive impact on the driver of the other vehicle, but also the emergency services that attended the scene. It is something that I’ll never forget.”
Tony Crook, road safety lead, National Fire Chiefs Council added: “It can happen to anyone, it can happen to the best driver, it can happen to the worst driver. It can happen to the most expensive vehicle, it can happen to the cheapest vehicle you can put on the roads. Check your tyres because they are one of the most important things on your car.”
Stuart Jackson, TyreSafe chairman, said: “Megan’s story truly is a tyre safety tragedy. Neither she nor the other driver involved were doing anything wrong or breaking any laws, but Megan’s car’s tyres were seriously underinflated, a major contributory factor in this truly awful incident. Please, watch the video of her story and interview with John and Joanne, share it and take heed of its potentially life-saving message.”