Anti-drink drive campaign - a mother's story

Christine Matkin's life was changed forever when her son was killed by a drink driver a week before Christmas.

Her 22-year-old son Sam Matkin was killed almost instantly when a car travelling the wrong way on the A13 smashed into his Ford Fiesta on December 16, 2006.

The driver was found to be three times over the legal drink drive limit and jailed for five years.

Christine, who lives in Stanford le Hope, has bravely agreed to tell her story as Essex Police launches its Summer anti-drink drive campaign in the hope it will make drivers think twice before getting behind the wheel under the influence of alcohol.

She said: "If I can stop just one person being killed by a drink driver I'll do whatever I can."

Sam had been on his way to meet up with friends when the drink driver ploughed into his car on the London bound carriageway, causing him to suffer fatal injuries. Just 24 hours earlier, Sam had been celebrating his mum's birthday.

Today, every birthday is tinged with sadness for Chris, her husband Ian and daughter Lianne. Christmas is a difficult time for the Matkins too simply because Sam had loved the festive season.

"Sam's death has changed my life completely," said Chris. "He died four years ago but it's still as painful now as it was then -- it just doesn't get any easier.

"The way Sam died was awful because we didn't get to say goodbye. I was very close to him -- he was just such a character."

Sam Matkin was a healthy happy young man who was robbed of a future by a driver who got behind the wheel of his car knowing he had been drinking.

His death was needless and could have been avoided. Now Christine is pleading with drivers not to put the lives of innocent road users in danger by taking responsibility.

She said: "If the driver had called a taxi rather than got behind the wheel my son would still be alive. Don't drink and drive, it's as simple as that but some people still ignore it and think they are capable of driving.

"What people don't realise is that different drinks, particularly wine, have different strengths and there's no way of telling that when you order a drink at the bar. People still think they can have one glass of wine and be okay to drive but that's not the case.

"Just one drink is too many."

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• drink drive
• alcohol
• summer
• anti-drink drive campaign
• driver
• car
• vehicle
• breathalysed
• Christine Matkin
• Sam Matkin
• Stanford-le-Hope
• Pitsea
• A13
• drink drive limit
• Essex Police
• drink driver

[PMiddy001]

Such a tragedy. we at Pete Middleton Pictures Feel strongly about making more people aware if the dangers of drink driving and just created our new Anti- drink driving campaign video for Christmas 2011.

Lets work together to stop it in its track before another innocent life is lost

You have our deepest sympathy in your time of loss.Please do if you have time look at our new video and let us know what you think

again deepest sympathy

Pete Middleton.

[yaaaaaaaawwn]

Quite depressing but really good video and made me feel more serious about drink driving