Julie Taylor can recall every second of the horrific moment drunk driver Russell McKeever’s Audi ploughed into her and husband Colin’s car.
The impact was so loud that she thought there had been an explosion.
The newlyweds were on their way to visit their granddaughter when businessman McKeever veered on to their side of the road and hit them head-on.
Colin, 59, died instantly but Julie remained conscious and lay trapped in the wreckage for 30 minutes next to her husband.
Their terrier Kola, who was in the front passenger seat, was also killed by the smash on the A933, near Dundee, in October 2014.
Julie, who was in the back seat of their Citroen Picasso, suffered life-changing injuries and is still on medication while she battles post-traumatic stress disorder.
She is in constant pain and has never been able to return to her career as a social worker.
Julie, 54, from Stonehaven, Kincardineshire, said she and her three children Stephen, 36, David, 34, and Sarah, 31, will never recover from the loss of Colin.
She added: “Colin and I had finished work early at 2pm and were going to see our three-year-old granddaughter in Arbroath to have a Halloween tea. It was about 3.15pm and McKeever came out of nowhere and hit us head-on.
“I remember every single thing, even to this day. It was as if a bomb had gone off – it was that loud.
“I knew straight away my husband was dead and it was a miracle that I was still alive.
“There was a driver behind us who called an ambulance and the fire service cut me from the car.
“I was there for quite a long time and all I could think of is, ‘My husband is dead and our children have lost their father.’”
Julie has called for an increase in the penalties handed out to drunk drivers.
She said: “I’m disgusted that people are still drinking and driving and more offenders are being caught.
“I think if you are caught you should get banned for at least three years. The automatic one-year ban is clearly not enough of a deterrent.”
McKeever, 43, from Dundee, decided to get behind the wheel following a heavy lunchtime drinking session.
After the crash, he told paramedics he had drunk “f***ing loads” after escaping with minor injuries.
Four hours after the crash, McKeever gave an alcohol reading of 226. The then limit was 80.
He was sentenced to four years in jail at the High Court in Livingston in 2016 after admitting death by dangerous
driving but has been freed.
Julie added: “McKeever committed murder, as far as I’m concerned.”
