19 people killed on county roads this year as special service to remember all crash victims to be held

A service to remember people who have been killed or seriously injured on Gloucestershire's roads is due to take place in the county this weekend. Marking World Remembrance Day for road crash victims, the service will be held at Holy Trinity Church in Minchinhampton near Stroud at 2pm on Sunday, November 17.

Gloucestershire Road Safety Partnership (GRSP) is organising the event in partnership with the charity RoadPeace. As well as families and friends of victims, it is hoped emergency services personnel – especially those involved in dealing with incidents resulting in loss of life – will attend. Similar services are taking place in cities up and down the country including London, Leeds, Sheffield, the West Midlands, South West and the North West.

The idea of World Remembrance Day was introduced to remember the millions killed and seriously injured on roads around the world and services like this one in Gloucestershire allow the bereaved to join together to reflect on the lives of those they miss and to acknowledge the emergency services and the work they do in responding to road traffic collisions.

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Alexandra Lloyd-jones and Nigel Lloyd-Jones who lost their mother in a crash eight years ago are ambassadors of a branch of the Older Drivers Forum in Gloucestershire. Alexandra said: said, “The shock and trauma of losing our mother in such tragic circumstances continues to this day. We are so grateful to the Gloucestershire Road Safety Partnership in creating this opportunity to come together with other families to honour and remember the loved ones we have lost.

“We are proud to be associated with this special day and to have been part of the team to bring it to fruition," Nigel adds. “We hope the community supports this memorial service to help draw attention to the tragedy of the deaths on our roads.”

According to the latest figures, 19 people have been killed so far this year in incidents on local roads and the GRSP is made up of Gloucestershire Constabulary, Gloucestershire County Council, South Western Ambulance Trust, Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) and other community organisations.

Cllr. Dave Norman, Chair of the Gloucestershire Road Safety Partnership said, “The GRSP is pleased to support this event to give those impacted by deaths and serious injury the opportunity to come together and remember their loved ones in a positive and supportive environment.”

Police and Crime Commissioner Chris Nelson, said: “The sudden, unexpected and traumatic experience of losing a loved one in an incident on the road, can be overwhelming. Talking to someone who has gone through a similar experience can often be a salvation. I hope this event will provide an opportunity for quiet contemplation, and perhaps offer some feeling of fellowship, for those who have suffered”.

Tickets for the service can still be found here.