The parents of a teen who lost her life in a drink-drive crash has released heartbreaking footage of their friend admitting to being drunk behind the wheel just moments before her death.
Nicola and Paul have shared their "pain" after their daughter Phoebe Johnson, 17, tragically died after her friend Melissa Keilloh, 19, lost control of her car whilst over the limit near the Leicestershire border on October 23, 2021.
Phoebe, who was days away from turning 18, was in the passenger seat of her pal's Seat Lion as it overtook vehicles on country lanes on the A514 between Stanton-by-Bridge and Ticknall. Nicola and Paul have released chilling footage of the crash as they urged teens to "look after yourself". In the clip, which was recorded a mere 15 minutes before the crash took place, Keilloh told Phoebe and another passenger that she would “100 per cent” put their lives in danger.
Phoebe was set to celebrate her 18th birthday before she died (PA)
Phoebe debated with her pal whether they should get out of the car (PA)The video hears Keilloh’s passengers debating whether they should get out of the car after she admitted to being drunk, reports Leicester Live. Keilloh even told the pair that she was “f***ed” and despite more calls for everyone to get out of the car, Keilloh drove on. Phoebe’s dad Paul called the moment the three set off as a “runaway train no one could get off”.
Phoebe, who had been house-sitting for a friend, was off from work the night of the crash and that is something that haunts Paul and Phoebe’s mum, Nicola. Paul said: “If she had been working the next morning, she wouldn’t have gone, but she was off. It was the weekend. They were looking after a house for someone who had gone away. It was all the dominos in a line. But she should have said I’m not getting in the car. The driver should have said [the same] but she said I’m too drunk and drove anyway.”
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Footage from Keilloh’s dashcam captured her driving at high speeds on her way to Ticknall. It was just moments later that these high speeds saw her lose control of the Seat Leon before it swerved across the road, flipped and crashed into a field. Screams are heard on the dash cam as the tragedy unfolded.
Phoebe, who was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash, was rushed to the Queen’s Medical Centre in Nottingham with severe head and neck injuries. Mum Nicola recalled the moment her and Paul’s life changed forever. She said: “It was about 1am, I heard the sirens. It was one of them where I thought, 'Did I hear that or was I dreaming?' And then I saw the blue lights coming through the curtains, followed by hammering on the door.
Melissa Keilloh, of Hartshorne, was sentenced to three years in prison (PA)“I knew she must've been poorly by how they'd come to get us, but I still didn't imagine that would be the outcome, but I suppose that's your body shutting down to protecting yourself. When I got to see her I didn’t want to leave and held her hand. I didn’t want to leave." Dad Paul said he knew Phoebe was “gone” at this point, with the couple agreeing to switch off their daughter’s life support. The devastating loss still haunts them, with mum Nicola especially drained by it.
She said: “It just drains everything from you. Every day, you have to get up and everything is just…yeah. Everything is an effort and you have to wonder how long you have to live through this pain for.”
Keilloh stood trial for Phoebe’s death and pleaded guilty to causing death through careless driving while over the legal drink-drive limit. She was jailed for three years at Derby Crown Court in January this year. The Johnsons have now called on others to think before getting behind the wheel of a car as part of Derbyshire Police’s Just a Second campaign. Paul said: “Don’t get in a car if the driver’s been drinking. Even if they’ve had one. It does affect you.” Nicola added: “To parents, never stop fussing. Ever. To youngsters, please listen and look after yourselves.”
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