The heartbroken mother of a ‘beautiful’ young woman who tragically died in a tunnel crash says her family has not had justice.
Paige Rice, 22, was the passenger in an Audi S3 when it crashed, head on, into the Mercedes taxi inside a tunnel just after midnight on Sunday, October 17, last year.
The driver of the Audi was being driven by her ex-boyfriend Callum Miller, a 27-year-old labourer, who also died from his injuries.
Nail technician Paige sadly died hours later in hospital, on October 17, while 27-year-old Callum was kept on life support before his death the following day.
The taxi driver suffered life-changing injuries after his cab was struck in the early hours crash.
A criminal investigation probing death by dangerous charges against Callum was launched after Paige died, but due to the driver’s critical condition it “could not be progressed”, an inquest today heard.
Their deaths were recorded as ‘RTC’ as an inquest concluded at Gerard Majella Courthouse in Kirkdale on Monday, January 31, according to Liverpool Echo.
The Audi collided with two cars before ‘losing control’ and crashing into the third and final vehicle, a taxi, at 98mph inside the Queensway Tunnel under the River Mersey, Liverpool.
Speaking after the inquest Paige’s mum, Claire Rice, said she was angry at the way Callum, from Stockport, had driven.
Ms Rice said the lack of any criminal trial meant there would never be accountability.
It had previously been reported that Paige, from Marston Green and Callum were in a relationship, but Ms Rice said they were not in a relationship at the time of their deaths and had split up a few months previously.
She said Paige had been planning a night out in Liverpool for her birthday and was in the city to make arrangements.
She said: “I didn’t know before today that the inquest can’t attribute blame so the fact that there is no criminal case means there hasn’t really been any justice.”
Speaking about when she first heard the tragic news of her daughter’s death, Ms Rice said: “When I found out it was devastating, I could not believe it at first.
“I think I woke up the whole neighbourhood. It was so hard to take in, especially as we had to identify her that day as well.”
Describing Paige’s busy life, she said: “Paige used to say that this year was going to be her last year of partying.
“She was going to go to Mexico, that was going to be her big expensive holiday and then the following year she wanted to start saving and buy a house.
“She was very business minded; she loved making money and she was very good at it. She wasn’t only working as a nail technician at the time, she was selling cars, she was very good at moving cars.
“She had a load of dreams, she also wanted to do a Youtube channel. She was beautiful and she was real, 100% real.
“She was a bit of a diva, and you could see from her social media how many people loved her, how loved she was.
“We’re all still really shocked I think, it’s really hard to take in.”
Ms Rice said that Paige had supported her through illness and looked after her younger brother, 18-year-old Tyler.
She said: “Tyler is really struggling, he couldn’t come today as he was too emotional.”
Paige’s best friend Sophia Church, 23, from Birmingham, also attended the inquest.
She said: “We met in secondary school (Grace Academy) in year seven, as soon as we met we hit it off. I would just laugh 24/7 with her, we laughed till we cried.”
Another close friend, 22-year-old Charlie Millard, met Paige while she was studying a make-up and beauty course at University College Birmingham.
She said: “There was never a dull moment, she always had everyone in stitches. She was always the star of the show.”
Ms Rice added: “She wasn’t an influencer, she never got paid for anything on social media, she just had a normal job and lived at home with me.
“But she was stunning, she was pretty and people were interested in her life, they were envious of her life. When she died I got messages from people I had never met, saying Paige was so funny, she would always make them laugh.
“They said she was so pretty and they always wanted to see what she was wearing.”
Coroner André Rebello reminded the court that the purpose of an inquest was to establish ‘who, what, where’ and not to ‘attribute blame’.
And he urged their loved ones to remember them by their “happy memories” and not by the tragedy of their deaths in a poignant message.
“When I die, I want people to remember me for the person I am now,” he said.
“I don’t think anyone here would ever want to be remembered for their death. It is appropriate and gives these young people dignity in their deaths if you celebrate and remember those lives that you remember in your hearts.
“Death is debilitating and covers a rollercoaster of human emotion; revenge, bitterness, love.”
He urged them to remember the “person you continue to love” and added that the “only way you can do that is by storing up happy memories”.
He continued: “Life is not measured in time, it is measured in love. So please celebrate those lives.”
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