‘Pain of losing a child never goes’

Jimmy and Susan Gray with a picture of their late son Mark, at the home in Middleton Road, Chadderton

THE horrific car crash which left three people dead and an 18-year-old woman fighting for her life has sent shockwaves through the borough and left four families devastated.

Flowers have filled Middleton Road in the days since the smash, which killed 19-year-old Cassie Fox, from Monsall; Christopher Morrison from Middleton; and Paul Bunting, whose family live in West Yorkshire.

It is impossible to comprehend what the relatives have been going through, but for one family the pain is all too familiar.

Jimmy and Susan Gray, whose home was badly damaged in Sunday’s accident, lost their son Mark in a road smash six years ago.

For the Grays, whose daughter Vicki lives next door with her husband Gareth Burns and their two children, it was a bitter reminder of a grief that is still painfully raw.

“My heart goes out to those families,” said Susan. “I feel so sorry for them. Losing a child is horrendous and the grief never goes away.”

Mark, who was married, was 25 when he lost control of his motorcycle in Bayhorse Road, Lancaster.

The inquest heard that he was a safe driver who did not speed and the coroner could not establish what had caused him to crash.

Susan said: “The accident at the weekend has brought it all back to us so vividly. It has been horrendous and it is terrible for the families. They are the ones who suffer most.

“When you lose your child, at first you’re in a daze and refuse to believe it.

“There is nothing I can say to those poor families which would make them feel better, but it is important not to dwell on those final moments.

“Try to remember when they last laughed or smiled. I remember silly little things about Mark, like the fact that whenever he came round he would sneakily eat the pork pies in my fridge.

“I think if I didn’t focus on those good times, I would have gone crazy.”

Residents said that a number of smashes have taken place on their stretch of road and Susan believes that something needs to be done urgently to prevent more carnage.

She said: “This road is like a motorway. They could fit a speed camera, but I don’t know if it would make any difference.”