Family's 'heartache' over Shropshire porn crash trucker's jail term
The family of Laura Thomas, who was killed as a truck driver ploughed into her broken down car as he browsed porn on mobile phones, have spoken of their heartache over his five-year jail sentence.
At just 20 years old Laura had her whole life in front of her. But the teaching assistant, whose natural caring instincts saw her work closely with disabled children and those with special needs, was killed in a horror crash as truck driver Ian Glover ploughed into her car.
Glover had not seen the Vauxhall parked up with hazard lights flashing on the hard shoulder of the A5 between Telford and Shrewsbury because he was browsing explicit dating websites on mobile phones.
As a result of the smash, the car flew over a barrier, killing Miss Thomas, of Great Haywood in Staffordshire.
Her fiance Lewis Anthony Pagett, 19, of Rugeley, was left seriously injured.
Glover, 44, was jailed for five years after admitting causing death by dangerous driving at Shrewsbury Crown Court but is likely to only serve half of that behind bars.
Her family today described the trucker's five-year prison sentence as "heartbreaking" but vowed to keep Laura's "sparkle" alive. Mother Lisa, 45, father, David, 47, and sister Gemma, 19, have been left devastated.
"To sit and listen to the reasons as to why the accident was caused was sickening," said Mrs Thomas. "To know that potentially Mr Glover could reapply for his driving licence in five years' time and have the option to live a normal life having taken Laura's just a short time ago is heartbreaking.
"It is soul destroying to realise how avoidable this all could have been. Lewis and Laura did everything possibly right in the situation of their car breaking down. They stood behind the barrier and called for help. To lose her life so young when she had everything, and to watch the rest of our family suffer in the loss of Laura, is unbearable and our lives will never be the same."
Laura worked full time as a teaching assistant at Marshlands Special School in Stafford and on Wednesday evenings volunteered for the Riding for the Disabled Association at Ingestre. She had also put her name forward to give respite care to parents with disabled children. She had also worked part time at WH Smiths in Stafford while studying for her A-levels in Rugeley.
She was described as having an "incredible work ethic" and as being a "beautiful person inside and out".
Her family are to start fundraising in her name supporting three charities: Riding for the Disabled Association, Marshlands School, and the Midlands Air Ambulance. Friends and family have also made friendship bracelets and designed car stickers in her memory.
On June 22 they will take part in a sponsored walk on Cannock Chase. Her best friends and an aunt are also doing a sponsored sky dive on June 15.
Mrs Thomas said: "We want to keep Laura's sparkle alive and will be fundraising in her name."
A website www.littlelaura.net has been set up. There is also a Little Laura Facebook page set up by her family.
