A mum has issued a heartfelt plea after footage emerged online of a horror car crash that killed her daughter. Paige Rice, 22, was a passenger in an Audi S3 when it crashed head on into a Mercedes taxi inside the Queensway Tunnel, in the early hours of Sunday, October 17 last year.
The Audi was being driven at 98mph by her ex-partner Callum Miller, a 27-year-old labourer from Stockport, who also died from his injuries. An inquest into their deaths, held at Gerard Majella Courthouse in Kirkdale on January 31, heard Merseyside Police initially launched a criminal investigation into a potential offence of causing death by dangerous driving, but the probe was dropped when it became clear Callum would not survive.
Dashcam footage of the crash has now appeared on social media. Clare Rice, Paige's mum said she has not been able sleep since finding out that the video was circulating online.
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She asked people to remove any posts containing the footage. Ms Rice wrote: "Yesterday, I found out there’s a video circulating on social media, a video of the crash that killed my daughter. Now I have no idea who has this video and how it’s got online but I want you to know, I’ve not slept since and I feel sick to the stomach.
"After we lost Paige I was asked if I wanted to view the footage, I chose not to for my own sanity. When you grieve someone who’s died and in such a tragic way, your mind chooses what to think about and what to block out.
"Finding out the video was online has been really triggering for me, moments which I’d been blocking out to survive my days were now at the forefront of my mind. Why would you want to watch my daughter's last moments?
"I’m heartbroken, the thought of strangers, people who don’t know Paige or me watching something so traumatic and distressing. When people post such personal pictures or videos without consent, it can have a serious impact on people’s lives."
Ms Rice said her life has been "turned upside down" by the death of her daughter, reports the ECHO, as she shared a series of photos of herself with Paige growing up.
She continued: "I’m still Paige’s mum and I still have that protective instinct. I know Paige would hate that this video is online. Look at these pictures, this is my beautiful baby girl Paige.
"She was taken from us in October, only 22 years old. No matter how old your child gets, they’re still our babies. I had Paige at a young age and it’s Pretty much always been us 3. My life has revolved around my children and making sure they never went without.
"I can’t tell you how much my life has been turned upside down since loosing(sic) my daughter. When you loose(sic) a child, just getting through an hour is an accomplishment.
"The last five months has been a blur when it comes to time and I don’t know how I’m surviving each day with this heartache, a pain you will never know, unless you’ve lived it. To cause added stress and upset is disrespectful and thoughtless.
"My life will never be the same again. I’ve lost my daughter and my friend and my son has lost his sister and we’ve all lost a massive piece of our lives. Paige left behind many broken hearts, she is loved and now missed by so many people, someone’s daughter, sister, granddaughter, niece, cousin and friend.
"We don’t deserve any more upset. I hope the posts are removed, I’d be extremely thankful."
