Harry Abbey: Brave mum issues heartbreaking plea to young motorbike riders 2 years after son’s death

A brave mother has issued a heartbreaking plea to young motorbike riders, two years after the death of her teenage son. Harry Abbey, 19, was travelling to work when he was involved in a collision with a combine harvester on Hollins Lane and Watery Lane in Winwick on July 21, 2021. He was pronounced dead at the scene. 

Harry has been described by his family as “bright”, “intelligent”, and an avid mathematician. Additionally, his passion for motorcycles drove him to pursue a career as a motor mechanic. Now two years on, his mother Bev Abbey is sharing his and her story in a bid to stop any other families going through what they have. She has given Harry’s bike to Cheshire Police to be used by the roads education team, which will take the bike – which has been secured to a trailer – to schools and colleges across the county.

Bev and Harry’s three siblings – Amy, Lucy and Tom – have also bravely opened up on the impact losing Harry has had on them to show to young people that their lives matter to those they leave behind – and encourage them to take road safety seriously. They have done so in a video released on Cheshire Police’s social channels, with this to be also used in schools and colleges across the county. 

In 2021 and 2022, 55% of those killed riding a motorbike were between the ages of 17 and 26. Forty percent of them were teenagers. They were all boys, and Harry was one of them.

Bev said: “Losing Harry has been one of the most traumatic experiences of mine and my family’s life. That pain, it doesn’t go away, it will be there all the time - you just make more room for it and learn to live alongside it. I want young people to know that they have a responsibility for not only their own lives, but a responsibility to come home – back to the people that love them.”

PC Darren Daniels, Road Safety Education Officer for Cheshire Constabulary, said: “I attend schools and colleges across the county all the time educating and encouraging young people on how to stay safe while driving their cars or riding their bikes – yet serious and fatal collisions still happen. We want young people to understand that they are not invincible, and their life matters. It matters to those who are left behind dealing with the consequences and I hope that by Bev bravely sharing Harry’s story - and using his bike as an educational tool - we can make a real difference and help to reduce the number of young people who are needlessly killed on the county’s roads.”

John Dwyer, Police and Crime Commissioner, said: “It was really important for me to provide funding to help promote road safety amongst young people, often as their inexperience on our roads can lead to collisions and fatalities. We know that the 17 – 25 age bracket sadly makes up a large proportion of incidents on our roads. Making Cheshire’s roads safer is a key priority in my Police and Crime Plan, and this bike is one way in which we can educate people about the importance of sharing the road. I want to thank Bev for making the brave decision to let Cheshire Constabulary share their story. Harry’s life mattered, and his family’s support for this campaign will help to prevent more young people being killed on our roads.”