Parents of teenage girl killed by drunk driver hope crash footage will save lives
The parents of Phoebe Johnson hope footage of their daughter's death will stop more people from getting behind the wheel after drinking, ITV News' Pablo Taylor reports
The parents of a teenage girl who was killed just two weeks before her 18th birthday have spoken to ITV News to raise awareness of the risks of drink driving.
Phoebe Johnson "had her whole life ahead of her" before the car she was a passenger in lost control while speeding down country lanes in South Derbyshire in October 2021.
On the night she died, the teenager, from Swadlincote, had been house-sitting with a group of friends, including the driver - 19-year-old Melissa Keilloh.
Dashcam footage, released by police shows Keilloh, who had only passed her test weeks before, talking about how drunk she was before deciding to get behind the wheel.
"Do you feel like you're going to put our lives in danger?" one can be heard saying, to which Keilloh responds: "100%, I'm f*****."
Moments later, after reaching high-speeds on a dark country lane, the driver lost control, with screams heard from the trio inside the red Seat Leon.
Paul and Nicola Johnson, say they will forever be scarred by the death of their daughter but determined to ensure others avoid the same fate, they agreed to the footage's release.
Phoebe died in hospital, while the driver and the other passenger survived.
"Every day I think about her, all through the day," her father told ITV News.
"I can't get her out of my mind - there's just a big hole that's been left, and nothing can fill that hole."
Watching the dashcam footage was incredibly difficult, Nicola said, while Paul admitted he still won't watch it, but both are eager for others to see it.
"Hopefully, young minds when they get into a car and they know someone's been drinking, they'll think 'Oh, I remember that video I saw the other week' and they'll say, 'I won't get in that car'," Paul said.
Nicola added: "We've lost our future, Phoebe's lost her future, we don't want anyone else to lose their future like that."
Keilloh is due to be released from prison next year, but Nicola and Paul say they are now serving a life sentence, as they continue their campaign on the dangers of drink driving.
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