Real-life stories feature in drink-drive campaigns

Hampshire Police and Leicestershire Fire & Rescue are both featuring real life stories as part of their 2013 Christmas drink drive campaigns.

Hampshire Constabulary’s campaign features the tragic story of 10-year-old ‘Evey’ who was killed by a drink and driver, while the Leicestershire Fire & Rescue campaign includes an interview with a prisoner who killed two of his friends after a night out.

Purple was Evey’s favourite colour and this Christmas officers from Hampshire Constabulary are wearing a purple ribbon to remember everyone who has died as a result of drinking and driving.

In August 2012, Evey and her mum and dad got in their car to drive to the local supermarket to buy sprinkles and icing to make some of her favourite cupcakes. Evey’s 14-year-old sister Ellie was watching from the window of her upstairs bedroom as her family left for their shopping trip. As the Staleys pulled out of their driveway, their car was struck by another car travelling at speed, being driven by a man named Robert Blakely. He was two-and-a-half times over the drink-drive limit and had been smoking cannabis, and received a 10-year prison sentence.

Evey’s side of the car took the worst of the impact and her head injuries were not survivable. While her mum and dad, Penny and Neal, were both terribly injured they slowly recovered, physically – but they will never recover from the loss of their little girl.

As part of its Christmas drink drive campaign, Hampshire Constabulary is encouraging people to text 80999 or call 101 if they suspect anyone of drink-driving.

In Leicestershire, 22 year-old Michael York from Hinckley (left in pic), who is serving a five year sentence for killing two of his friends after a night out, has been allowed out of prison to talk to pupils at his former school about his mistakes.

The visit was part of an event organised by Leicestershire Fire and Rescue to warn teenagers about the dangers of drink driving.

Mandie Brown (right in pic), the mother of Matthew Brown who was killed in the crash, said she was glad something good could come out of the situation.