On 10 June 2017 at 09:50am, Linda's life changed forever. She remembers the day vividly. It was a bright and warm June morning. Her husband Chris, 58, was riding his motorcycle when a pickup truck collided into him. Chris was on his way to visit local shops in Leamington Spa to buy food for a dinner party the couple were hosting that evening. He died instantly at the scene of the crash.
Linda was met at work by two police officers who told her that Chris had been killed in a head-on collision. The news devastated Linda. Chris was her best friend and soulmate. To be taken away so suddenly was something that she could not bear. Family and friends stayed by her side for the first three months after the crash. She found herself staring into space, spending hours on her own in a deep depression. Her last message to Chris had been to ask him to make the chocolate mousse for dinner and pop it in the fridge. She had this conversation with him half an hour before he died.
Six months after the crash, Linda was struggling to cope with her grief. She longed for Chris and would have done anything to bring him back. The couple were planning a happy retirement and wanted to spend as much time together as possible.
Chris, 58, died in a head-on collision with a pickup truck when riding his motorbike. He died instantly at the scene of the crash.
Chris’ death has left a hole in my life which will never be filled. I feel so bereft, and I long for Chris every single day. People need to understand that a lapse in concentration can kill and change someone’s life forever. I call on all drivers to take care every time they drive.
Linda got in touch with Brake’s National Road Victim Service, who helped her access grief counselling. This helped her reshape the way she thought about her grief, rebuild her confidence and resilience, and move towards a new reality. She says that her memories of Chris, who was a hugely positive and optimistic person, inspire her to get up and try and make the most of her days.
Linda is sharing her story to raise awareness of the devastating impact that something as simple as a lapse in concentration at the wheel has on families and loved ones. She gets incredibly frustrated when she sees a driver on their phone, not indicating, or not paying attention to the road. She encourages everyone to take extra care to keep roads as safe as possible.