'My son and other loved ones are more than just road death statistics'

A man whose 18-year-old son was killed in a road traffic collision has said events remembering loved ones that focus on who they were as people help ensure they are seen as more than a statistic.

Road Victim Support Northern Ireland-Donegal is hosting Say Their Name events, giving bereaved families an opportunity to celebrate their loved ones and ensure they are not defined by the circumstances of their deaths.

Eamonn Karran attended an event in Shantallow, Londonderry, on Thursday and spoke about his son Noah, who was killed in a crash in Claudy in 2024.

Karran said the support he has received since Noah's death has been a "lifeline" for him and his family.

Speaking to BBC Radio Foyle's North West Today ahead of the second anniversary of Noah's death on Saturday, Karran said the support of the local road safety group and events like this one have been a huge source of comfort.

"The event was incredibly emotional and very powerful," Karran said.

"You know, just hearing the stories and seeing these families bring pictures of their loved ones with them really sort of put a bit of humanity to what we call the number of the statistics.

"One family, who had never been to an event like this, travelled a long way to be there and it was lovely."

Karran said no one can truly understand the impact of losing someone in a road traffic collision like someone who has experienced the same themselves.

As of Friday, 47 people have been killed so far in road traffic collisions in Northern Ireland, according to the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI).

"Very often we see these numbers published every year and for a lot of people it is just a number, but behind every single one of those numbers is a brother, a son, a mother, a relative, a friend, a work colleague, and behind every single one of those numbers there was a life lived and was loved, but sadly someone who didn't get to live their life to the full," said Karran.

Karran said his own son was incredibly well known and much-loved, and he struggled to come to terms with his death after his passing.

"He was only 18 but he ran his own business fixing phones, but everybody knew him here and there was such an outpouring of grief when he died.

"We do have to see those statistics published, to see how bad it is on our roads, but it is also important to know that there is a person behind the number.

"For me, the support group is very therapeutic. At the start, after Noah died, I didn't go for any help, and I was one of those fathers who thought I had to be there to be a pillar for my family.

"I pushed my own emotions and grief aside and then I realised that I needed help, and I needed help badly."

Karran said he eventually sought help and availed of support from Road Victim Support Northern Ireland-Donegal founder Debbie Mullan, who lost her own son, Keelan, in a road crash in 2013.

Karran said speaking with other families who have experienced a similar loss helps with the grieving process and provides a safe and welcoming environment in which to remember their loved ones.

"There is a lot of help out there and after speaking with families, I knew I could use that life experience to talk to other families and also speak to men.

"I learnt that a lot of men don't come forward for help, and through helping others I can also help myself," Karran said.

"I get to talk about Noah every single day and I am able to get those emotions of grief out by talking to people who understand the pain they are going through."