'She lives on in people’s hearts': Father's tribute to Tansey Green Road crash victim
Charlie Burgoyne's father has called for friends and family to give his 17-year-old daughter the send-off she deserves after she died in a crash in Pensnett.
"I’ve lost my best mate and my soulmate.”
The father of a teenager killed in a car crash has told of his heartbreak as he called for friends and family to give her the send-off she deserves at her funeral.
Charlie Leigh Burgoyne, aged 17, died at the scene of the crash in Tansey Green Road, Pensnett, on May 23 despite the efforts of the emergency services.
She was a passenger in a car that lost control, overturned and hit a wall. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
'Our beautiful princess': Tributes flood in for Charlie
Arthur Pinches, 27, of High Oak, has been charged with causing death by dangerous driving and dangerous driving
He will appear at Wolverhampton Crown Court this month.
'The perfect child'
Now her father Richard Burgoyne, from Quarry Bank, has paid tribute – and called for everyone to turn out to the funeral later this month to pay their respects.
He said: “It’s a tragic waste of a life. I’m absolutely devastated. She has always been daddy’s little princess.
“Everyone knew my daughter, absolutely everyone knew her. She was the highlight of everyone’s life – I want the occasion to be massive.
“She was happy, outgoing, and she wanted nothing but appreciated everything. She loved her family and friends. She was a happy go-lucky person – the perfect child.
“She wasn’t materialistic – if you made her something she would be happy. I want everyone to turn up to give her a good send-off.”
The 42-year-old, who works for Armatus Risk Canine as a security dog handler, said he thought he was “dreaming” when police knocked on his door to tell him the awful news.
He said: “The police knocked on my door in the early hours in the morning and I thought I was dreaming – I pinched myself and said to them I was dreaming.
"I still think I am. I was like trying to wake up and I didn’t accept it – I still don’t.”
'Like a mad dream'
Charlie, originally from Quarry Bank before she moved to Pensnett, had studied at Dudley College on a work-based learning course.
The 17-year-old worked at Rootz hairdressers in Tiled House Lane, Pensnett.
Family and friends have since visited the site of the crash in Pensnett, including Charlie’s 14-year-old brother Connor.
But her father said he didn’t want to go.
Interactive map shows crash site:
He said: “I’m absolutely devastated. It’s a nightmare – I’ve lost my best mate and my soul-mate. I want to wake up from this mad dream.”
The father-of-two said his daughter was “people’s sunshine” on a gloomy day.
He said: “Regardless of how people felt she would always put a smile on people’s faces. She loved Mini cars and motorbikes.
“I can’t look at social media, but I’ve got a family friend who has arranged bikers to ride up to the church. It’s a lovely gesture – absolutely fantastic.
"I’m trying to keep out of it because I don’t want to accept that it happened. She always put others before herself – that’s the person she was. She genuinely never wanted nothing, but she appreciated everything.”
He added: “It’s going to be a massive send-off. Even though I can’t accept and I can’t get my head around it, it will be a massive send off – as big as possible.”
“Charlie will live on in memories and in people’s hearts.”
Charlie’s funeral will be held on June 24 at 1pm at Christ Church, High Street in Quarry Bank.
Her father has asked people to wear “anything bright” to represent the teenager’s personality.
He said: ”There’s a dress code – paisley, or flowers, bits of glitz and glam.”
