Mother takes safety message to schools after teens' death in Conisborough accident
The mother of a teenager who died in a car accident alongside four friends is taking her road safety message into schools.
Jordanna Goodwin was 16 when the car she was a passenger in collided with another vehicle on a foggy night in Conisborough, South Yorkshire, in 2014.
Her best friend Megan Storey, 16, also died along with the driver, 18-year-old Bartosz Bortniczak.
Fellow passengers Arpad Kore, 18, and Blake Cairns, 16, also lost their lives.
A coroner described the incident as a "tragic accident".
Jordanna’s mother, Vicki McCarthy, has teamed up with close family friend and teacher Vicky Swiffen to deliver the Lost and Found campaign to year 11 and sixth form students.
Ms Swiffen taught the friends at Danum Academy before they died.
Vicki told ITV News: "The idea behind Lost and Found is that while we may have lost Jordanna physically, we have found her legacy. And I honestly believe that she would want us to do this, if it could save just one life.
“She may not be with us, but she’ll always be my daughter, I’ll always be her mum and I’ll always be so proud of her. We talk about her every day.”
Vicki said she does not blame anyone for the accident, saying a lack of driving experience and "horrendous" thick fog contributed to what happened.
“No family should have to go through what we all have, so I just want to encourage these students who are learning to drive or about to take their test to really think about the dangers on the road and the potential consequences,” she added.
In a presentation at Outwood Academy - where Ms Swiffen now teaches - pupils heard Jordanna described as a ‘big character’ who ‘lit up a room’ with her fun-loving and kind nature.
Ms Swiffen said she hoped the presentation would strike a chord with the students:"If it sticks with one young person in that assembly, if they go home and say to an older sibling who drives, ‘I saw this today’, if we can reduce potential incidents on the roads - that’s the big picture and that’s Jordanna’s legacy. It’s so important."
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