Woman who lost mam and stepdad in horrific A1(M) crash in mobile phone safety drive
L-R Assistant Chief Constable Tonya Antonis, Jonathan Slee from Durham County Council, Detective Constable Natalie Horner, Mariellena Johnson, PCC Joy Allen, and Inspector Kevin Salter from Durham Roads and Armed Policing Unit (Image: Durham Police)
A woman who lost her mam and stepdad in a fatal collision has launched a campaign to stop people from using their mobile phones at the wheel.
Elaine Sullivan, 57, and 59-year-old David Daglish, from Seaham, were killed when a lorry driver ploughed into their Vauxhall Crossland as they drove on the A1(M) near Bowburn.
Paul Mullen, 51, who was driving a Toyota Hilux, also lost his life in the collision, which happened on July 15, 2021.
The Northern Echo:
Forensic examinations of the lorry driver’s mobile phone found that he had been repeatedly using the device’s web browser throughout his journey from Cambridgeshire right up until the time of the collision.
Now, in a bid to prevent further tragedies, Elaine’s daughter, Mariellena Johnson, has joined forces with Durham Constabulary and the county’s Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) to design a car sticker to discourage people from using their mobile phones at the wheel.
The stickers, which are funded by the PCC’s office, are also supported by Durham County Council, who will be displaying the stickers in their fleet of vehicles.
Mariellena, who is known to her friends and family as Mari, said: “There is absolutely no excuse for using your phone at the wheel; one quick glance can have devastating consequences. You see people using their phones all the time and I just want it to end.
The Northern Echo: Elaine Sullivan and David Daglish of Seaham
Elaine Sullivan and David Daglish of Seaham (Image: northern echo)
“No family should ever have to go through what we have experienced – sorting through your own parents’ belongings, clearing their home, organising their funeral, having to move on and live life without them. It is absolutely heart-breaking.
“I really hope that people see these stickers and think twice about looking at their phone while driving. Life is precious, please don’t ruin it for the sake of a phone call, text, or quick glance of social media.”
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Detective Constable Natalie Horner, from Durham Constabulary’s Collision Investigation Unit, worked with Mari to design the stickers.
“We want people to look at these stickers and realise that there are real people behind them – not just statistics, but people with families and loved ones who are missing them terribly,” she said.
“We need people to stop using their phone at the wheel. Even just a split-second look can distract you enough to cause a collision which could be fatal.
“None of us want to have to deliver another death message to a family whose loved one has died in a collision which could have been avoided. Please, put the phone away while driving.”
The Northern Echo:
PCC Joy Allen said: “Every time someone uses their mobile phone while driving it puts others at risk. What Mari and her family have gone through is devastating.
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"This is why I am fully behind the use of dashcams to shine a light and prosecute those who intentionally have no regard for other road users and is why I have prioritised Safer Roads within my Police and Crime Plan.
“By working with Mari, Durham Constabulary and other partners to produce the stickers, it will get the message out far and wide that no-one should be flouting the law and instead should be fully focussed on the road and on driving safely for the benefit of all road users. No text message or Google search is worth a life.”
The stickers will be available in all police station front offices in the Durham Constabulary area from Monday, August 7.
References
- ^ Durham A1(M) crash: Son recalls finding out mum and stepdad had died (www.thenorthernecho.co.uk)
- ^ Actress whose parents were killed in lorry crash returns to stage hours after funeral (www.thenorthernecho.co.uk)
- ^ Families describe heartache after crash on A1(M) in Durham (www.thenorthernecho.co.uk)
- ^ Lorry driver jailed for three deaths on A1(M) at Bowburn (www.thenorthernecho.co.uk)
- ^ here (www.thenorthernecho.co.uk)