Rhys Dobson, 19, was walking home after a night out when he was killed in a hit-and-run on a rural road in Pontypool, Torfaen. His father, Colin, a former A&E nurse, has been diagnosed with complex trauma PTSD and left his job following the incident.
The security officer had been out with work friends and decided to walk the three miles home to avoid waking his parents. His body was found by passers-by on the road between Blaenavon and his home shortly after 03:00 BST on 19 April 2019.
Forensic investigators used bodywork debris to identify the vehicle as a black Citroen C3. Within five hours, officers found a similar car with front-end damage in Blaenavon. The owner, 38-year-old lorry driver Derek Richards, told police he thought he had hit a 'wardrobe or a freezer'. He was later convicted of causing death by driving without due care and attention.
The trial heard Richards had taken more than three times the legal limit of amphetamine. Data from his car showed he was travelling at 61mph when he hit Rhys. Police said he had time and space to avoid the collision but did nothing and left the scene.
Colin Dobson said the grief 'broke' him and his family. He was unable to identify his son's body, so Rhys's grandmother had to do it. 'It has affected me deeply that someone could just be so callous as to leave someone that they have just injured in a road and drive off as if it meant nothing,' he said.
Rhys is one of approximately 430 pedestrians killed on British roads every year. Latest research suggests there are more than 28,000 hit-and-run incidents annually, accounting for over 10% of all UK road crashes.
