Susan Shaw Was Knocked Down And Killed On Boxing Day 2017

The family of a mother-of-two, who died on Boxing Day last year when she was knocked down outside her home, have spoken of their pain and anger after the driver of the car that hit her was sentenced.

Susan Shaw, 47 from Rishton, Lancashire, was walking on High Street in Rishton shortly before 6pm on Boxing Day when she was hit by a Vauxhall Corsa. The car, driven by Damien Raeburn, had been pursued by police prior to the incident.

The accident caused her catastrophic injuries and Susan died at the scene. 

The charity fundraiser was a carer for her two adult children, Leanne, 27, and Adam, 25. Leanne suffers from severe epilepsy, absences and requires one to one care. Adam also suffers from severe epilepsy, but he also is unable to speak and needs help eating and washing. 

Following Susan’s death, her family instructed specialist road accident lawyers at Irwin Mitchell to support them through the criminal trial and to help them gain security for Leanne and Adam in the future.

Today Raeburn, 31 from Accrington, was sentenced to eight years after pleading guilty to causing death by dangerous driving, driving without a licence and driving without insurance on February 1st at Burnley Crown Court.

Annette Shaw, Susan’s mother, said after the plea hearing: “As a family we feel we have been given a life sentence and that my daughter has been taken away too early and her two beautiful, vulnerable children are now left without a mother and a carer.

“The whole family remains traumatised by Susan’s death. No sentence that could have been handed down today would undo the hurt we feel or bring back our daughter. 

“As we have stated before, Susan was cherished family member and a well-loved member of the community. She was always generous with her time, with both friends and strangers alike. It is heartbreaking what has happened to her. She did not deserve it.”

Matthew Garson, the road accident legal expert at Irwin Mitchell representing the family, said: 

Expert Opinion

“The sentence handed down today sends a message to others that dangerous driving on the road is not acceptable and will not be tolerated.

“Sadly the consequences of dangerous driving on the road were fatally highlighted on Boxing Day last year.

“Nothing is more important than your own safety and the safety of others on the roads. It is vital that people remember this when while driving, particularly over the festive period, as we see first-hand on a daily basis the impact dangerous driving has on people’s lives.

“With the criminal trial now over, we will continue to work with the family to ensure that Susan’s two adult-children, Leanne and Adam, receive the much-needed support they need going forward.” Matthew Garson - Partner

Since Susan’s death, local charity group ‘Switch On Rishton Group’, of which Susan was an active member, have been working on planting a tree in Susan’s memory and fundraising for the family.

Read more about Irwin Mitchell's expertise in road accident claims.