Family of pregnant mum killed by dangerous driver bid to educate young drivers

ITV News North of England Reporter Amy Welch spoke to the family of a woman who was killed by a dangerous driver who was filming himself speeding at 123 mph

The family of a pregnant mum-of-two who was killed by a driver - who was filming himself speeding at 123mph - are hoping to create a virtual reality game to better educate young people on safe driving.

Adil Iqbal, 22, was steering with one hand and holding his phone with the other to film himself as he tailgated and undertook other vehicles and swerved across lanes in his father’s BMW car on the M66 in Bury on May 13 last year.

Frankie Jules-Hough, who was 38, had pulled over on the hard shoulder with a tyre puncture and was making a call to say she would be late when the driver ploughed into her stranded car.

Ms Jules-Hough was 17 weeks pregnant with her first daughter, Neeve. Her daughter died with her when she passed away two days later in hospital surrounded by her family, having never regained consciousness.

Her nine-year-old son and four-year-old nephew, who were in the car along with her other son, were left in a coma with serious brain injuries. They are still recovering now.

Tobias Welby spent 17 weeks in a coma at Manchester Children’s hospital. His mum, Becci Welbi, said finding out her sister had died, while her son was in intensive care was one of the hardest moments of her life.

"With him being in coma for so long we got to the point where we thought surely won’t be same boy when wakes up," she told ITV News.

Tobias is now in reception and has been working with his class to develop a road safety character which will be brought to life as part of a new charity being launched by Ms Jules-Hough's family to teach children the dangers of reckless driving.

The Frankie & Neeve Road Safety Academy wants to create a game that uses VR headsets to replicate what it’s really like to be in a car crash.

The latest road casualty statistics show that, in 2022, 1,766 people died on UK roads.

Exceeding the speed limit was a contributory factor in 303 of those deaths and 22 deaths were caused by people using a mobile phone.

Ms Jules-Hough's father, Frank Hough and partner Calvin Buckley have come to see how Merseyside Fire Service already use VR technology in the hope they can create something similar to target teenagers in the classroom.

The reconstruction is not real and the people involved are actors but Mr Hough found it extremely upsetting. For him, it means reliving Ms Jules-Hough's final moments.

The driver who killed Ms Jules-Hough, Adiil Iqbal, was sentenced to 12 years in prison in July after admitting to causing death by dangerous driving, and banned from driving for 14 years.

But, following an appeal the decision was reviewed and three Court of Appeal judges increased it to 15 years after deciding the original punishment had been "unduly lenient."

But Ms Jules-Hough's family say they have a life sentence and that education is crucial in order to stop the boy racers of the future.

Mr Buckley said he hopes they can "create a generation of people that are respectful drivers".

Ms Jules-Hough's family are now looking for sponsors who are willing to work with them to develop a VR game which targets school children of all ages.

They hope that through education the boy racers of the future can be stopped and that lives can be saved.

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