The mother of a 16-year-old boy who was tragically killed as he cycled to college on his first day has bravely shared her story in a bid to encourage cyclists and drivers to take extra care on the roads.
On September 11, 2023, Rhys Shepherd, 16, was involved in a collision with a bus transporting scores of students to Franklin College in Grimsby. Hundreds of heartfelt tributes poured in for Rhys on social media, describing him as a “lovely young man” and “one of the most genuine” people.
More than a year and a half on from his death, Rhys’ mum, Helen, has shared her story as part of Humberside Police’s ‘One Second’ campaign, which aims to highlight the preventable reality of road traffic collisions.
Speaking in a poignant video, Helen said: “When he was little, it was only me and him until he was five, so I think you build that quite strong mum-son relationship in those first few years. It kind of did go through to him being a teenager.”
Helen said “life” was Rhys’ hobby – he wanted to be outside on his bike, see every film, listen to every song. “He just had that thirst for life. He just liked to be outside and see the world and what was going on,” she said.
(Image: Humberside Police)
Recalling the day Rhys died, Helen said: “So the day it happened, myself and my husband weren’t actually here. We were away. We’d actually done The Great North Run the day before, so I’d spoken to Rhys a lot that day.
“It was his first day of college. And one of the things that sticks in my head is I saw a sports car on the motorway and I sent Rhys a picture of it, and I thought it was a bit odd that he hadn’t seen it, but I just thought, ‘it’s his first day of college, he’s probably settling into the class, he might not be allowed his phone out’.”
When Helen and her husband arrived home, she was told the tragic news that Rhys had died.
“The rest of that day, and the days after, I wouldn’t be able to tell you what day it was, what hour it was, what I was doing, what anyone else was doing. It just, yeah, it’s almost like your mind blocks it out. On the day he died, part of me died,” she said.
“It’s still only 20 months in from when it happened. And you learn how to live with it. Because there’s no other choice, really. But really, life is just existing rather than living. Thinking about the people who had to experience it, actually see it happen.
“The driver, no one goes to work wanting something like that to happen. No-one expects something like that to happen. And they’ve got to live with it. And I should imagine that they feel some of the same feelings I feel. You know, almost like their life’s been ripped away from them.
“They’ve got to get up every day. And the kids on the bus, how do children see something like that and get over it? Down to the lovely ladies that stayed with him when they saw it happen, so he wasn’t on his own. The gratefulness as a mother to know that they were there with him. But I hate that it’s impacted all those people and all those children. It’s just wrong.”
Helen said the awful events of that day serve as a reminder to take extra care when cycling or driving.
“We all see the kids on the bikes and walking. They all think they’re invincible. They’re young. They don’t think about the consequences of life. You see them now, they’re on the phones and their hands are off the handlebars,” she said.
(Image: Humberside Police)
“I think because it’s happened, all I see is the kids not watching what they’re doing and on their phones. Just like a driver in a car, you don’t need to be on your phone when you’re on your bike. Whatever you need to do, wait, and just be aware of what’s going on around you. And for the car drivers, try and remember that those kids think they’re invincible and that they might not be watching what they’re doing.
“And maybe just take that extra second to realise that they’re there. I know it’s hard – they come from all over, there’s so many of them about. But just take that second to realise and concentrate on what you’re doing.
“It’s that split second – all these things happen in that split second. And it’s not just one thing that makes it happen, it’s a sequence of things. If Rhys had looked up two seconds earlier, if the bus driver had decided to go a different way, if he’d stopped at a stop for two seconds longer – if.”