To the bereaved father, it is a symbol of heartbreaking loss. But the man whose daughter died at the wheel of this Vauxhall Corsa has taken the courageous decision to allow police to use it as a weapon in their war on drink-driving.
The twisted wreck will be displayed in town centres and outside nightclubs in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight in the hope it will persuade young people of the dangers of driving under the influence of alcohol. Its driver was just 23 when she lost control and collided with a van near Fleet last November. She was four times the drink-drive limit. Under the campaign title Smashed, police are targeting the 20-24 age group, who are the worst offenders, accounting for more than one in five drink-drive arrests last Christmas.
The girl’s father wishes to remain anonymous, but said: ‘I wanted to tell my story, her story, because I wanted people to see what devastation they can cause by making that choice. ‘It’s a split second decision which can have far-reaching consequences. ‘My daughter was a kind-hearted, loving and caring individual who went out of her way to put others first. ‘She made a mistake. One that she paid for with her life and one we’re still reeling from as a family.’ ‘My memory of the night I lost my daughter will haunt me and my family for the rest of our lives.
‘I remember the police officer at the door asking to come in and for me to sit down. All I could think was if it is bad news surely he should just tell me. ‘When we later found out that my daughter had been drinking it made the pain so much more agonizing’.
