Mother of killed motorist urges drivers to slow down

Steph Alger says her life "catastrophically changed" after her son Justin's death

The mother of a man who died in a car crash has appealed to motorists to slow down.

Steph Alger's 18-year-old son Justin died after his car left the road near Dove Holes in Derbyshire in the early hours of 28 June 2020.

She has lent her support to Derbyshire Police's latest campaign, called Just A Second, which is warning drivers against speeding and becoming distracted behind the wheel.

Mrs Alger said: "My message would be don't speed. In a second your life and the life of your loved ones... will be catastrophically changed."

Justin's mother said his death had left a "lifetime impact" on his family

Mrs Alger, who lived in Hayfield at the time, added: "He was going too fast for the road conditions at the time.

"It had been raining significantly and while he was speeding, he wasn't absolutely tanking it.

"He went off a very steep embarkment. The car flipped and he was extremely unlucky in the sense that his side of the car landed on a stone wall.

"That misjudgement has a lifetime impact on us all."

Justin suffered brain injuries and died in hospital hours later, with his mother at his bedside.

Justin as a young boy

The eight-week Derbyshire Police campaign will see posters in service stations and road safety lessons for children at schools.

Assistant Chief Constable Michelle Shooter said: “Last year my officers had to speak to the families of 32 people to tell them they were never coming home.

“That is a conversation that nobody should ever have to have – and often those deaths have been caused by totally preventable actions.

“Getting behind the wheel is something many of us do every day, but it must be given the respect that it deserves.

“The new campaign seeks to highlight things that people think don’t really make a difference – but can, in just a second, change their lives forever.”