The mother of a 14-year-old boy killed in a crash on the M6 caused by his own father has said she has been left heartbroken again after money she was saving for a memorial was stolen from her son's memory box.
Ryan Liam Morgan died in April last year when the Peugeot van he was travelling in, driven by his father Daniel Burba, left the motorway near Lancaster and hit a tree. Burba, 31, was four times above the legal drug-drive limit and had an epileptic fit at the wheel. Ryan, who was in the front passenger seat, died 'in terror' as he tried to gain control of the vehicle.
Fresh blow for grieving mother
More than a year on from the tragedy, Ryan's mother, Kim Morgan, said she has been left 'devastated' after discovering that her son's memory box had been opened and £600 had been stolen from inside. The 39-year-old mother of three said the box was kept in her bedroom, suggesting someone who knew about Ryan took the money.
Morgan said she had not kept her fundraising a secret and had told many people she was saving for a memorial. She expressed heartbreak that the thief had touched other precious items in the box, including Ryan's favourite football shirt, handprints made by nurses after his death, and baby mementoes.
Campaign for Ryan's Law
Burba, formerly of Arnside Crescent, Morecambe, was jailed for 10 years in August 2025 after pleading guilty to causing death by dangerous driving. He also admitted driving without a licence and with no insurance. He had been warned by his doctor in October 2014 to stop taking cocaine after a seizure, and given a similar warning in February after further fits, as well as being told to inform the DVLA of his epilepsy.
Kim Morgan is also campaigning for 'Ryan's Law', which would ensure killer drivers are never allowed behind the wheel of a car again. A fundraiser to replace the missing money has been set up, and a spokesperson for Cumbria Police confirmed the force has received a complaint regarding the missing money.
