'It could be someone else's child, I can't let that happen' - Grieving mum of teen crash victim in action call

Speaking on ITV's Good Morning Britain (GMB) on Monday morning (June 23), Leanne Vaughan, whose 17-year-old daughter Lily-May was killed in a crash, called for interim suspensions for drivers involved in fatal collisions, alongside graduated driving licences that would restrict newly qualified drivers from carrying passengers in the first six months after passing their tests.

Logan Addison, aged 20, crashed his Volkswagen Golf into an electricity pole in Shawbury, killing Lily-May who was in the front passenger seat. He was sentenced to five and a half years behind bars at Shrewsbury Crown Court last Friday (June 20).

However, just weeks after Lily-May's death, Addison - who was 17 at the time - was caught doing doughnuts in a Tesco car park, and was also convicted of driving offences three more times after the fatal crash.

Lily-May's mother Leanne is determined to turn her unimaginable pain into action and is leading a campaign to see a change in the law. 

"It felt like my daughter was a piece of roadkill, because how can a beautiful girl get killed and then nothing happens?" Leanne said on GMB.

"The driver goes on to live his life, gets back in his car, does doughnuts on a car park, whereas for us, our life is over.

"Why are we allowing this? Until it happens to you, you wouldn't think it would be the case.

"Scientists have known, statistics show this, that your brain isn't fully developed at 17. Teenagers, give them a peer in the car or someone to show off to, and they will risk-take."

She continued: "It was heartbreaking for me as a parent to sit there and go through over two years of this pain, watching it, and then thinking finally at sentencing the strong message will be sent; the world will see that we are not going to tolerate this.

"But, then to be told because he was emotionally immature at 17 that he will have a lower sentence - I was thinking that this is wrong, if he is old enough to get into a car, then why isn't he old enough to have a sentence that reflects that? What are we doing to these children, what message are we sending?

"Lots of family and friends read out impact statements, they were so brave. Our biggest fear is that we know full well, even though he is banned for eight years, he will get back into a car and re-offend. It could be someone's child walking down the road and I can't let that happen."

GMB host Susanna Reid said it would come as an "enormous shock" to people to hear that Addison was allowed to continue driving before his trial for causing the death of Lily-May.

Lily-May's mother had described Addison as a "danger to society" as she delivered her victim impact statement.

Leanne added: "My child is gone but she is still be my heart, she is still everywhere. It is wrong that my daughter can die but the law is saying that it is okay that we are going to accept this. If I don't speak out then who is going to protect other children?

"It is so important to me; enough is enough, we have got to do something."

Leanne was joined on GMB by Lucy Harrison from the charity RoadPeace which provides support services to people who have been bereaved or seriously injured by road crashes.

"I think Leanne is calling for sensible reforms and we certainly support that," Lucy said. "But, at court it came to light that Logan at 17 was treated as old enough to drive, but when we got to court it was all about his emotional immaturity and the fact that he couldn't be treated as an adult and that is a bit contradictory. 

"He had no idea of the risk that he was posing to anybody or the fact that he was putting Lily-May's life at such risk. Maybe it is unfair to expect 17-year-olds to fully take on that responsibility.

"We have to call for reform and we need the Government to look at this and various proposals instead of constantly saying what they won't do."

Miss Vaughan went to school in Wolverhampton and lived in Kidderminster. She was doing a college course in car bodywork repair and had dreams of running her own business and living by the sea.