Parents of student killed by a hit and run driver say they are 'relieved he's off the streets'

ITV Border's Kieran MacFadzean went to meet Oliver's parents.

Oliver Pryde was on his way back to his student accommodation after watching England play in the Euro 2020 final when he was hit by 33-year-old Adam Smith in Huddersfield.

West Yorkshire Police said Smith had consumed nearly twice the legal limit of drugs when he ploughed into Mr Pryde, from Flimby in west Cumbria.

He was found guilty of causing death by careless driving after a trial at Leeds Crown Court.

His parents say they are "relieved that he's off the street and relieved with a 10 year sentence".

His mother, Stacey Pryde said: "Lots of people think a life for a life, but given the guidelines, 10 years was a good sentence for us."

Describing the impact losing their son has had on the whole family Mrs Pryde said: "We try and tell the kids that they're allowed to be happy, they're allowed to make new memories and Oliver would want them to, but that's very difficult even for us.

“Parenting whilst you’re broken yourself is one of the hardest things you can do. The kids idolised their big brother, they miss him everyday, it’s very difficult."

His father Cameron Pryde added: "There are a lot of things the kids find hard to do, there are a lot of things I find hard to do, that I just can't do any more.

Describing their eldest son, Mrs Pryde said: “He was quirky and had a very dry sense of humour, he was football daft.

"He was friendly and would do anything for anybody, he was kind hearted.

"He absolutely loved life.

"People would say you only live once, Oliver would say you only die once, you live every single day."

Oliver had ambitions of being a teacher after finding a passion for helping people during his time at Netherhall School, his mum said: "He wanted to be a teacher - he wanted to inspire the next generation like he’d been inspired”.

Remembering the last time she saw her son, Mrs Pryde said: “Last time I saw him was my 40th birthday.

"People kept saying, ‘you’re getting old’, and I said age is a privilege and it was denied to many - I didn’t know it was going to smack me in the face 17 days later”

“I didn’t even hug him the morning he left because he didn’t like being touched and I knew he was coming home for Summer in three weeks."

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