Bereaved father warns drivers over speeding

Jim Regan, right, spoke to the drivers about how police broke the news of his son's death

A father whose son was killed in a speeding hit-and-run has been telling drivers his story to try "prevent others from going through the same horrible situation".

Broadband company Openreach invited Jim Regan to speak to its fleet of drivers at its Exeter base as part of national road safety week.

His soldier son, Ben, died in 2015 after he was hit by a speeding driver.

Mr Regan said: "He went out and didn't come back."

He said his son had been travelling to see him on Father's Day when he was killed.

He told Openreach drivers how police broke the news of his son's death.

"The policeman's face gives it away, I knew.

"You've got to feel for the police officers who have to do that, it's not a very nice feeling."

Sgt Owen Messenger said Devon and Cornwall Police was hoping to change driver behaviour

Openreach, which has the second biggest vehicle fleet in the UK, also asked Devon and Cornwall Police to speak to drivers.

Kieren Tickner from the company said: "We want to make sure our guys and girls when they're driving keep within the limits and keep the community safe."

Mr Tickner said its fleet drove more than 260 million miles a year and so wanted to invest in driver education.

Police officers talked to drivers at Openreach's base in Exeter

The training coincided with road safety awareness week which for 2023 was focussed on speeding.

Asked why he participated in driver education schemes Mr Regan said: "It's been eight and half years now so if I'm going to keep his name, that memory alive, the best thing I can do is prevent other people from going through the same horrible situation I have really."

Sgt Owen Messenger said on average four people die on the UK's roads every day.

"What we want to do is change the driver behaviour," he said.

"If we can change driver behaviour for the better and everyone behaves themselves on the road then it keeps people safe."