'Nobody teaches you what it’s like to lose a child': Mother whose son was killed in crash urges drivers to be safe

A Staffordshire mother who lost her son in a road traffic collision two years ago is urging drivers to remember their responsibilities on the roads and not pressure other motorists.

On January 12, 2019, Sam Myatt careered off the road and into a tree while driving home along the A518 between Haughton and Stafford.

CCTV showed that he had been tailgated by another car in the run up to the incident. Sam, 20, died a day later. Sam, who lived in Gnosall, near Stafford, had only passed his driving test a few months earlier.

On the second anniversary of his death, Sam's mother Liz has spoken of the moment she was told by a police officer that her son had been in a crash – and of her work to create awareness of the dangers posed by tailgating other motorists.

She said: "I vividly remember answering the door to a police officer on the night of the crash and I knew straight away that something was wrong. I was told there had been an accident and I instantly knew it was bad because I’d actually been diverted from it myself. You never expect to be diverted from your own son’s accident – but I was.

“At the time, I was told he hadn’t passed away so I always thought things would be ok, that he would recover from it but it wasn’t the case. Hearing your son’s been involved in something like that and might not make it is not something you ever want to hear.

“Looking back at it, I would say it felt like a dream. It felt like it wasn’t actually happening to me. It’s just a complete blur.”

Sergeant Darren Burney, of Staffordshire Police, broke the news of Sam's crash to his family, having been one of the first on the scene at the time.

Ambitions

He said: "Myself and another colleague were first on the scene having had a report that a vehicle had rolled off the road and into the nearby fields. It was clear straight away when we got there how serious it was and the injuries to Sam were very, very bad.

“We dealt with what we could and colleagues from the fire and ambulance services weren’t far behind us and they did everything they could for Sam as well. We protected the scene and dealt with traffic before I took it on myself to talk to Sam’s mum in Gnosall. It’s an incredibly difficult situation for a police officer that. I’ve done it before and it will never be an easy job.

“She asked me how bad it was and I didn’t want to lie so I said it was really bad. From there, I took Liz to the hospital on a blue light run so she could see Sam as quickly as possible.”

Liz said: “On arrival at hospital we were taken to a side room, I had family members join me and we were waiting for the news from the medical professionals there.

"We were constantly updated and one minute there seemed to be some hope and the next minute there wasn’t. They finally came to us and said there wasn’t any hope and that was when we were allowed to see him, right at the end, the following morning.

“Sam hadn’t passed his test that long before his accident but he was a confident and competent driver.

“He was working a night shift at the time so was driving regularly in the dark. He had been learning for two years and was delighted when he finally passed. It was one of his ambitions to buy a certain type and colour of his car and that’s what he did.

"I was so happy he managed to get what he wanted. He, like every new driver, just wanted to go out and drive all he could and that’s what he did."

She added: "It’s had a massive impact on my life and it’s never going to go away. I’m always missing a part of my life, somebody that should be here and I do think had he not gone to Tesco that night then maybe he would still be here.

'Sam isn’t coming back'

“Nobody teaches you what it’s like to lose a child – it’s something you don’t prepare for or expect and from speaking to Sam’s friends, I know they’ve found it incredibly tough too.

“I just hope people listen to what we have to say because I wouldn’t want anyone else to go through what I’ve been through. Since Sam’s death we have done all we can to ensure young drivers in particular are aware of the dangers of the road.

“We’ve helped create a driving awareness course for young drivers with the help of Gnosall Parish Council and Staffordshire County Council. It’s based around mine and Sam’s experiences and it’s really focused on helping young and prospective drivers feel safer on the roads and giving them an idea of how they can avoid accidents on the roads – particularly while being tailgated.

"I would honestly like to see driving instructors introduce lessons where students are tailgated in a safe and controlled manner because from what I can tell, you’re not prepared for that type of thing.

"I think it’s important that new drivers are aware of the dangers it poses and what it feels like to have someone so close to you.

“The one message I want new drivers to know is that they shouldn’t speed up when someone is pressuring them from behind. Please just slow down, safely."

Sgt Burney said: "Nobody wants to receive the news that she [Liz] did and drivers have to understand the responsibility they have when taking to the roads. They need to look at how they would feel if they were involved in a fatal collision. If you were responsible for something that ended someone’s life, could you live with the guilt? It’s something that changes your life forever.

“When I knocked on Liz’s door that night, the news I gave her changed her entire world and that impact doesn’t go away. Sam isn’t coming back – this is real life."