Yahoo News Heartbroken mum recalls final moments with son 'senselessly' killed by drink-driver
A heartbroken mum said her son's life was "taken for the cost of a taxi" as she described a "living hell" knowing her son was "never coming home". Harry Chapman was two weeks away from celebrating his 21st birthday when he was killed by a drink driver hurtling through a 30 zone at 97mph.
The reckless driver was twice the legal limit - and travelling on the wrong side of Aldridge Road in Streetly - when he hit Harry's car. His tearful mum Claire said she could only hope her son "wasn't in the car petrified of what was coming towards him" on that fateful night.
Harry had decided take his sister Lola bowling on October 7, 2022, and on their way back, he'd picked his best friend up so they could make plans for his upcoming birthday celebrations in Blackpool. Clare, who was out herself that night, recalled getting home at 10.50pm and noticing that her son's car wasn't on the drive.
"We waited for him to come home," she said, adding that at around 11.15pm, her daughter had suggested going out to look for him. "I said 'no, he's 21, he moans about me mollycoddling him, he's a big lad, we'll wait'.
"So we went to bed, I put a hot water bottle in his bed and my head hadn't even touched the pillow and there was a really loud bang at the door." Claire said the moment she realised police were outside, her heart "just stopped" as she "knew something awful had happened".
She recalled getting in the car with officers and heading half-a-mile down the road "past a sea of blue, knowing that's my child on the floor". Claire continued: "He'd had CPR from the police, they tried for seven minutes to bring him back, and he was on his way to the QE, and in the car I just, I felt sick, I felt like I'd never travelled at such speed." Claire admitted she was "in denial" at the time and had even made a phone call to Harry's boss to say he wouldn't be in the next day.
She said they were "waiting for ages" at the hospital and she was able to see Harry before he went into surgery. "There was blood all over him, he was in a neck brace, I actually lost the use of my legs and I fell. They took him away for surgery and we didn't see him again until the morning." Claire said her son had been in an induced coma at the time and the family were "given the day to say goodbye".
Describing the heartbreaking scenes in the hospital room, she said: "I talked to him and I gave him his last kiss. It was a goodbye that was never meant to happen."
Claire said her son had always wanted to help others so she'd shared her emotional story in a bid to stop others from getting behind the wheel while under the influence. "If this can save one life, he'd hold his head up high," she said. "He would want to be able to make a difference, even though he's not here."
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She continued: "If you see someone who has had too much to drink and something happens, the blood is on your hands too. You could take the keys off somebody, you know they've had too much to drink, they're not in control of the vehicle, they'll understand when they're sober. Just take the keys off them and stop another senseless death. Harry didn't need to be killed. My son's life was taken for the cost of a taxi.
"There is no excuse, you're going out to have a good time. Take a little bit extra, drink a bit less, have the money to get a taxi and then it is a good time as opposed to someone being dragged out of their bed and having to give permission to turn off a life support machine for a child."
Superintendent Gareth Mason, West Midlands Police's head of roads policing said Harry’s story was a "stark reminder of the devastating impact drink driving causes". He continued: "It shatters not just the lives of victims and their families, but ripples through entire communities."
He said the force's zero tolerance policy would remain in place - and see additional enforcement - during the Euros, adding: "Our officers will be highly visible, conducting increased patrols and checkpoints to deter and detect those who endanger others by driving under the influence. We're committed to taking strong action to keep everyone safe on our roads.”
