The heartbroken parents of a young woman who was killed in a car crash are appealing for motorists to check the pressure and condition of their vehicle's tyres regularly.
Megan Byrne was 22-years-old when she lost her life while driving in Lancashire. Her parents John and Joanne Byrne are determined that no family should suffer the pain they have.
Megan had been staying with her boyfriend in Manchester and was on her way home to visit some friends for lunch, and then to see her mum on Thursday, February 20, 2020.
She had a 'zest for life' and was excited for her future having recently qualified as a primary school teacher, her family said.
But weather conditions were poor, with high winds, rain and sleet, and as she approached a left-hand bend on Elton Road in Belthorn, near Blackburn, she lost control of her car and crossed into the opposite lane, and collided with a large family car.
Police officers, firefighters and paramedics rushed to the scene, but the impact of the crash was so severe that Megan was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police collision investigators confirmed that Megan was driving within the speed limit and was wearing a seat belt at the time. However, two of the tyres on Megan’s car were underinflated, a major contributory factor in the crash.
Her mum and dad have spoken candidly about the day's events and how it took the loss of their 'fantastic daughter' to realise how important tyre safety is.
John and Joanne are now working with TyreSafe and the Lancashire Road Safety partnership to raise awareness.
Holding back tears, Joanne told of the moment police came to break the news that no parent would ever want to hear.
"The police officer said 'Joanne you need to sit down, it's Megan'. So then I just said 'oh please tell me it's not bad news' and then they just said yeah, she's been involved in an accident, and she's passed away," she said.
“We wanted to share Megan’s story as we certainly don’t want anyone else to go through what we have. It has taught me a lesson to check my tyres as I never used to do it – it’s such a shame that Megan has had to pass away for me to realise that," the grieving mother added.
John, Megan’s dad, added: “She had a fantastic spirit about her – Megan would light up a room. We all miss her terribly. My advice is, don’t rely on your car’s tech. Go to all four corners of your car, get down, put a pressure gauge on it, and check it.”
He added: "She's my daughter, she was a fantastic person. I loved her dearly."
Emergency services are also supporting the campaign, including Sgt Steve Hardman of Lancashire Police, who attended the scene.
He said: "It was a very unique set of circumstances that we were also faced with - adverse weather conditions, there was strong winds, rain, sleet, surface water, one of the contributory factors was that the off-side tyres of Megan's vehicle were significantly underinflated.
"Certainly this case has had a massive impact on the driver of the other vehicle, but also the emergency services that attended the scene. It is something that I'll never forget."
Stuart Jackson, TyreSafe chairman, said: “Megan’s story truly is a tyre safety tragedy. Neither she nor the other driver involved were doing anything wrong or breaking any laws, but Megan’s car’s tyres were seriously underinflated, a major contributory factor in this truly awful incident. Please, watch the video of her story and interview with John and Joanne, share it and take heed of its potentially life-saving message.”
Megan's loved ones and TyreSafe are urging people to watch and share the video of her story, and to pay attention to its message.
Remember to ACT – don’t ignore your tyres, check:
Air pressure: Use an accurate tyre pressure gauge to check tyres’ air pressure is at the recommended settings. Check the vehicles owner’s handbook or fuel filler cap.
Condition: Lumps or bulges in a tyre may indicate internal damage and increase the risk of a catastrophic failure. If these, or cuts and cracks, are found while checking a tyre, the tyre may need replacing and professional advice should be sought.
