‘His smile was unbelievable’: Heartbroken mam’s tribute to Walker teen who died after being hit by a car

The heartbroken mother of a teenager who died after being hit by a car in icy weather has described him as "the best person you could possibly imagine." Sonny Farrier, 18, was travelling in a van with his dad Lar, 49, when ice caused the vehicle to skid down Bogle Hole Lane in Consett[1], County Durham[2]. They hit a tree but were both able to get out of the van.

While Sonny was walking around the back of the vehicle, he was struck by a car. Lar tried to give his son CPR but he sadly passed away at the scene.

Lar told Sonny's mam Haley, 44, about the collision, which occurred at 1.10pm on Saturday, and they broke the devastating news to his 13-year-old sister Savannah. The family, from Walker[3], Newcastle[4], have since been inundated with support from those who knew and loved Sonny.

Haley, who works as a civil servant, said: "They had just been dropping some stuff off and Sonny's satnav took them to Bogle Lane. My husband said they got to the hill and the van went itself because of the ice. "They went down and hit a tree but there wasn't very much impact.

The van got stuck and Lar got out of the van to go and check what had happened. When he did that, Sonny got out of the passenger side and went around the back." The mam-of-two said a car then hit the van and Sonny.

She said: "Lar tried to save him. He did compressions on him. The coroner said he would have been instantly unconscious and died a few minutes later.

I hope that he died in his dad's arms."

Haley said that she had gone into Newcastle city centre[5] with her sister and Savannah and was at the cinema at The Gate when Lar contacted her about Sonny. She said: "I had missed calls from my husband while I was in the cinema. He said 'I'm in the police car Haley on the way home.

There's been an accident, you need to get home.' I said 'I'm in the Gate, I'm five minutes from the RVI.' I went 'He's dead isn't he?' and he went 'Yeah he is'. "It's just hard to come to terms with. Everything has completely and utterly changed for us.

It's absolutely awful. I said to Savannah 'We'll try and keep to routine because Sonny wouldn't want us falling to bits'."

Newcastle United[6] season ticket holder Sonny attended Walkergate Community Primary School followed by Walkergate Riverside Academy. He had an apprenticeship as a plumbing and gas fitter.

Haley said: "He was just perfect. I knew he was popular and well loved but, even before this happened, I was getting messages off people saying 'What a lovely lad he is, he's so polite'. "He got on with every age group.

Everyone absolutely loved him. His dad said 'We could be working in the middle of nowhere and he someone would walk past and say 'Are you alright Sonny?' He was so likeable and loveable. He would click and gel with everyone. "He was so funny, he was just the best person you could possibly imagine.

His smile was unbelievable. He was such a lovely, fun son. He would wind us all up but he was so vibrant and funny. You never saw him miserable."

Sonny had been season ticket holder at St James' Park[7] from the age of six and sat on level seven with his dad, who works as a test engineer, and his 15-year-old cousin Warren.

Haley said: "I used to go to the training ground with him to see the footballers in wind, hail and snow for hours on end until he got autographs. I couldn't book a family holiday because I had to find out when the fixtures were or he wouldn't go. "He went to every single game, he never missed a game.

He went to all the Champions League games. He was scared of flying until the Champions League games, but he went to all three. He went to every away game, he was meant to go to Everton.

"He came back from Paris last Wednesday and he said it was amazing 'you need to go to Paris'. When he was little he always wanted to see the Eiffel Tower, he said 'It was the best thing I have seen'. We are going to go to Paris as a family as a tribute to him.

"On Friday, he he fitted his first boiler on his own.

He was absolutely buzzing, he said 'Mam I have done it!' "He achieved so much. When he was 10 years old he did the Coast to Coast!

He played football from being about seven and he was still playing. Fitness was a big part of his life, he was so fit." Haley said that he was with his girlfriend Leanne Wood, 23, for just under a year and they managed to travel to seven different countries together in six months.

Sonny would have turned 19 on December 14 and Haley plans to have a party for him. She said: "I want it to be a celebration of his life and for everyone to be happy because that's the type of person he was." Haley and Lar will hold a Newcastle United themed funeral for Sonny at the West Road Crematorium on Friday, December 15 at 2.45pm.

Hundreds of people are expected to turn up and everyone is welcome. Haley added: "I want to take him on his last journey. Me and his dad are going to walk him in.

I don't know how I will do it, but I will as it's the last thing I'll do for him."

Durham Constabulary[8] told Chronicle Live that enquiries into the incident are ongoing.

References

1. ^ Consett (www.chroniclelive.co.uk)
2. ^ County Durham (www.chroniclelive.co.uk)
3. ^ Walker (www.chroniclelive.co.uk)
4. ^ Newcastle (www.chroniclelive.co.uk)
5. ^ Newcastle city centre (www.chroniclelive.co.uk)
6. ^ Newcastle United (www.chroniclelive.co.uk)
7. ^ St James' Park (www.chroniclelive.co.uk)
8. ^ Durham Constabulary (www.chroniclelive.co.uk)