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Irish Mirror
Irish Mirror
National
Marita Moloney

Irishwoman describes 'waking up in a nightmare' after family killed in crash with suicidal driver

Irishwoman Elber Twomey has recounted the horrific moment she learned her family had died in a crash in July 2012.

The Cork native lost her husband Con, toddler Oisin and unborn baby daughter following the tragedy - and spent weeks fighting for her life.

Elber lost her babies in a head-on collision in Torquay, Devon on July 6, 2012 while on holiday in the UK.

READ MORE: Cork mum Elber Twomey shares heartbreaking photos of family holiday which ended with tragic crash

A suicidal driver drove on the wrong side of the road and deliberately rammed their Volkswagen Golf.

16-month-old son Oisin and unborn baby Elber Marie - whom the family refer to as Little Lady - died following the crash.

Elber’s husband, Con, 38, died 10 months later from injuries he sustained in the collision.

Speaking as the 10th anniversary of the unspeakable tragedy approaches in two months time, Elber recounted the worst period of her life.

“We had literally six magical days and day seven was a bit like this morning - it was wet and miserable and we took Little Man for a swim and we ended up in the pool,” she told Newstalk Breakfast on Friday.

“And we were headed out to lunch and we were going for a little play in an indoor play centre and the next thing I remember is it was almost the end of July.

“In the meantime on our way we had been involved in a serious road traffic collision with a suicidal driver Mark and Mark at the time been followed by the police.

“He crashed into us and it claimed the first the Little Man and Little Lady and left Con and myself fighting for our lives.

“I woke up at the end of July to be told what had happened and needless to mention it was like waking up in a nightmare.”

When asked how she is doing now, Elber said: “I’m good, thank God.

“Obviously they’re in my head every day. If they weren’t there’d be something wrong.”

In the years since the tragedy, Elber has been campaigning in her family's names.

She is hoping to raise awareness over suicide and suicidal drivers in the hope that other families can be spared the daily pain she endures.

“[The police officer] was never trained in suicidal awareness,” Elber said.

“Obviously, suicidal drivers thanks be to God are not a very common thing but I would have started my campaign then [for the police] to at least have the basic training and then I did a few presentations with the police.”

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