Lincolnshire Police have thanked a South Holland family whose daughter was killed in a hit and run incident for fronting its summer road safety campaign.
AfterAmy saw loved ones of Amy Cooper speak about how her death aged 20 in 2023 affected their lives.
It was caused by Shane Kelk’s dangerous driving and he’s serving over eight years in prison as a result.
Amy’s mum Amanda and sister Sam spoke with both national and local news agencies about how anyone can slip into bad driving habits such as speeding that could lead to a family like their’s losing someone who had their whole life ahead of them.
Amanda says Lincolnshire Police are pleased with the campaign and told her ‘levels of engagement’ were ‘unprecedented’.
“It is so gratifying and we are so touched that Amy’s story has triggered a huge response.”
A spokesman for Lincolnshire Police, said: “We would like to say thank you to this incredible family who have worked with us to create the #AfterAmy campaign.
“It’s hard to imagine how difficult a subject it has been for them to talk about but they have shared their darkest hours with us in order to demonstrate the everlasting impact on loved ones when someone is killed on our roads.
“They gave us a real insight into Amy, who should have had her adventurous life ahead of her. We only wish we could have met this brilliant girl who lit up so many lives.
“The unfairness of this is difficult for us to comprehend. For a family, it must be unfathomable.
“And yet Amanda and Sam still manage to find and focus on the positives which they were determined to highlight in our campaign.
“The kindness of people; those who stopped to help, the paramedic who held Amy’s head in her lap as emergency services tried so desperately to keep her alive, the hospital staff, and all those who have offered sympathy and support.
“Having lived through the worst situation a family can face, they still find goodness in people.
“The overwhelming support for this campaign has just reinforced this.
“It’s been a privilege to have worked with this family – they are simply lovely people who don’t want another person to go through what they have been through – and they have done Amy proud.”
Sam said: “I want Amy’s legacy to be that somebody takes a moment and thinks what happened to her you could so easily cause to happen to someone else and you could be the safest driver in the world – but it’s that one decision.
“You take that chance, and Amy could be coming in the other direction. Somebody’s Amy – your Amy – could be coming in that direction.”
Amanda, Sam and the police also thanked everyone who interacted with the campaign and ‘for not letting Amy’s name and story be forgotten’.
“If you are reading this asking, ‘what can we do?’ the answer is simple – we can all take more care on the roads,” the police spokesman continued. “Please remember the ABC of road safety – Avoid distractions, Be patient, Concentrate.”
