(Pictured l-r) Alice, her mum Tereasa and brother Daniel. This photo was taken in August 2014, less than a year before Tereasa died.
Alice and her brother Daniel experienced a great deal of loss in their young lives. Aged nine and seven, their dad died of cancer, and in the summer of 2015, their aunt Trisha died suddenly. On the day of Trisha’s funeral, their lives completely shattered.
It was a warm afternoon and at around 4.30pm, Alice and her family started making their way from the funeral service to the wake, around 15 minutes away. Tereasa was driving and Alice, then 18, was in the front passenger seat. Daniel, 16, and their cousin Joe – Trisha's 19-year-old son – were in the back.
As they approached a bend in the road, a car travelling in the opposite direction veered onto the wrong side of the road, colliding head-on with Tereasa’s car. Tereasa died at the scene shortly after the crash, and her three passengers were all seriously injured.
The young driver of the car that crashed into Alice and her family had been taking recreational drugs in the days before the collision, which contributed to him becoming drowsy at the wheel. In October 2016, he pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving and three counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving. He was given a prison sentence of four years and four months.
Alice recalls very little of the crash, besides a vague memory of waking up briefly on the side of the road, her face against the warm tarmac. She regained consciousness that night in hospital with severe injuries, including a spinal fracture that meant she had to wear a brace for several months. Daniel, who sustained a perforated bowel and serious internal bleeding, was in a coma for three days. Joe was also hospitalised.
Despite recovering well from her physical injuries, Alice had to navigate a minefield of practicalities – a complex and stressful legal process, victim impact statements, and media interest in the case – all while managing her own grief and trying to rebuild her life. She didn’t know where to turn for help.
Our mum was the most determined, resilient woman; I like to think that’s something she’s passed onto us.
It wasn’t until years later that Alice discovered Brake through her passion for beauty pageantry. Taking part involves entrants championing causes that mean a lot to them, as Alice explains.
“I started looking into what support there is out there for people who have been involved in road crashes or lost loved ones. I found Brake and I knew it would have been so useful for me when my mum passed away. I jumped on it straight away and started posting about Brake on social media, and fundraising.”
In 2024, Alice achieved the incredible feat of running the Bath half marathon and raised £230 for Brake. Then in October 2025, she was crowned Miss Great Britain, and she has vowed to use her platform to support Road Safety Week, raising awareness of road safety and the impact of road crashes.
Alice was crowned Miss Great Britain in October 2025. She has vowed to use her platform to raise awareness of road safety and the impact of road crashes.
She also hopes others who are injured or bereaved by road collisions don’t have to go through the trauma alone. “In the immediate aftermath of a crash you need a lot of support and Brake can provide that essential support that I wish had been there for me at the time. It would have made it a slightly less awful experience.”
Alice and Daniel marked the 10-year anniversary of the crash by walking between the spot where it happened and the venue of their aunt’s wake – a pub 15.7 miles away – finishing the journey their mum was never able to complete.
“It feels like it's brought the end of a very difficult 10-year chapter in a really lovely way,” says Alice. “Our mum was the most determined, resilient woman; I like to think that’s something she’s passed onto us.”
Alice is channelling that determination and resilience into many positive outlets. She is lobbying the government for changes to bereavement leave entitlement and supporting a number of charities, including Brake.
“It’s important to me to support the vital work Brake does because there was very little support available when I lost Mum,” Alice says. “If I can help spread the word and contribute to the incredible support Brake provides, I’m sure it will make a difference, even if it's a small one.”