Yahoo News Mother of Walker teen who died praises coroner for raising concerns about road where he lost his life
The heartbroken mother of a teenage boy who died after being hit by a car has praised the coroner for raising concerns about the road where he lost his life.
Sonny Farrier, 18, was travelling in a van with his dad Lar, 49, when snow and ice caused the vehicle to skid down Butsfield Lane, also known as Bogle Hole Lane, in Consett, County Durham. They hit a tree but were both able to get out of the van.
While Sonny, from Walker, Newcastle, was walking around the back of the van, he was struck by another vehicle, which had also slid down the hill. Lar tried to give his son CPR but he sadly passed away at the scene on December 2 last year.
An inquest into Sonny's death, held at County Durham and Darlington Coroner's Court in Crook, County Durham, heard how there were two other accidents, caused by slippery conditions, on the same stretch of road that day.
Senior Coroner Jeremy Chipperfield concluded that Sonny's medical cause of death was head injuries and that he died as a result of a road traffic collision.
He also raised concerns about Butsfield Lane and issued a report to prevent future deaths, which has been sent to Durham County Council. The local authority have been ordered tor respond by August 29.
In the report, the coroner says: "The Road called Butsfield Lane in Consett (locally known as "Bogle Hole Lane"), approximately 1 km north-east of its junction with Delves Lane, includes a hill of between 19 and 21% gradient, with a bend immediately beyond its lower portion.
"In slippery conditions, and in the absence of effective mitigation, passage of vehicular traffic along this stretch of Butsfield Lane presents a hazard and risk of death to road users.
"In my opinion action should be taken to prevent future deaths and I believe you have the power to take such action."
Sonny's mother Haley, who is also mum to Savannah, 13, has praised Coroner Chipperfield for issuing the report. She said: "The coroner has stepped up and they have done such a good job, I really appreciate that.
"I can't thank the coroner enough because they've been very thorough with it. I'm just grateful that something is getting done about it.
"It's taken for me to lose the perfect person in the world, who deserved life more than anybody I know, and it's just so, so hard. It shouldn't have got to this point.
"They found there were two accidents on the same day beforehand, it was really, really upsetting. The road was open the next day. I blame the council so much. I feel like I'm trying to get justice for what happened and I don't think I ever will.
"The council will have to put some safety measures in place. How they are going to do it I don't know. I just hope that they act on it before next winter. I hope they put the right measures in place to make it a safer road so this doesn't happen again and no family has to go through what we have been through. It's so horrible."
Haley said she discovered, through a freedom of information request to the council, that an MP had raised concerns about the road but that it was not classed as a priority by the council.
Durham County Council has confirmed that Butsfield Lane is not classed as Priority 1 or 2 route - roads which are treated by them each winter.
Mark Readman, Durham County Council’s head of highways, said: "Our thoughts and condolences are with Mr Farrier’s family. We will respond to the coroner’s report following careful consideration of the concerns raised."
Newcastle United season ticket holder Sonny attended Walkergate Community Primary School followed by Walkergate Riverside Academy. He had an apprenticeship as a plumbing and gas fitter.
Sonny had been season ticket holder at St James' Park from the age of six and sat on level seven with his dad, who works as a test engineer, and his 15-year-old cousin Warren.
Haley said that he was with his girlfriend Leanne Wood, 23, for just under a year and they managed to travel to seven different countries together in six months.
Haley previously told Chronicle Live: "They had just been dropping some stuff off and Sonny's satnav took them to Bogle Lane. My husband said they got to the hill and the van went itself because of the ice.
"They went down and hit a tree but there wasn't very much impact. The van got stuck and Lar got out of the van to go and check what had happened. When he did that, Sonny got out of the passenger side and went around the back."
The civil servant said a car then hit the van and Sonny. She said: "Lar tried to save him. He did compressions on him. I hope that he died in his dad's arms."
Following Sonny's death, Haley, Lar and Savannah were inundated with support from those who knew and loved him, including Newcastle United Football Club. Sonny's friend Geordie Burrows, 15, supported the family by setting up a Go Fund Me page to cover the cost of his funeral.
Hundreds of people gathered in black and white for Sonny's emotional funeral service at the West Road Crematorium in Newcastle on December 15 last year.
Tearful mourners, dressed in Newcastle United shirts and scarves, waved flags and clapped as Sonny's coffin arrived at the chapel. Many wore shirts with Sonny and the number 18 on the back.
Haley added: "I think people think because it's been six or seven months that it's alright. But it's not, it gets harder. It's been so, so hard. It's like we're just trying to get through another day.
"It's hard not talking to him or sending him a message because I spoke to him a dozen times a day.
"I hope I can get some sort of normality back in our lives and time is a healer. But I don't think time is a healer, I think as time goes on you learn to live with how life is now."
