Road safety: ‘My son and other loved ones are more than road death statistics’

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.