Memorial services to remember lives lost on roads

Amy Evans died when the car she was driving was involved in a crash on the Wendover bypass, near Aylesbury

Two memorial services are set to be held to support families and friends of those killed in road crashes.

This year marks the 20th year of the dedicated service in the Thames Valley and the 10th for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.

Fran, whose 27-year-old daughter Amy was pregnant with her second child when she died in crash in 2019, said the service made "you realise you are not alone".

Police, fire, and ambulance crews will join families at the services in Winchester and Thame where the names of those who died will be read out and candles lit in their memory.

The Hampshire and Isle of Wight service will be held at Christ Church, Christchurch Road, Winchester

Fran said the grief felt after losing loved ones in a crash could be "very isolating" and "very painful to let out sometimes".

"[The service] is somewhere where you can let this out," she said.

Fran said the service was "the one time of year that we all do get together as a family just to remember Amy and to say goodbye again because we didn't get to say goodbye to Amy".

She added: "During the service the candle lighting is very poignant and also when all the names are read out it is very emotional - particularly hearing your child's name. But it just makes you realise you are not alone."

The dedicated services, hosted by the Joint Operations Roads Policing Unit of Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary and Thames Valley Police, will be held on Sunday at 14:30 GMT.

'Ripples of grief'

Det Ch Insp Justin Thomas, head of the joint unit, said, "Every life lost on our roads sends shockwaves far beyond the crash itself. It shatters families, friends, colleagues and entire communities, leaving scars that last a lifetime.

"These tragedies are never isolated; they create ripples of grief that touch countless lives.

"Our memorial services are a chance to pause, to honour those we've lost and to stand with the loved ones left behind."

The Hampshire and Isle of Wight service will be held at Christ Church, Christchurch Road, Winchester.

The Thames Valley service will take place at St Mary the Virgin Church, Church Road, Thame, Oxfordshire.