Burscough mum tells of family’s anguish over son’s moped death

Mar 11 2010 by Gemma Jaleel, Ormskirk Advertiser

A HEARTBROKEN mother has spoken about her family’s difficult decision to turn off her son’s life support machine after he was hit by a car.

David Allan, 17, was travelling on his way home back to Burscough on his moped last Sunday, February 28, when he was involved in a collision with a Ford Focus on Wigan Road at the junction of Whiteley’s Lane in Westhead.

The former St Bede’s pupil was taken to hospital with his left leg broken in three places, but over the next three days his condition deteriorated.

A fatty embolism formed and travelled to his lungs and then finally to his brain.

Last Wednesday (March 3), the life support machine was turned off and David died with his family at his bedside.

He would have turned 18 on March 26.

His mother Ann Finch, 47, who married David’s stepdad Graham three years ago, told the Advertiser: “Every weekend David he would go to stay with his dad Douglas in Skelmersdale.

“He was on his way back home when it happened. The police rang me and asked me to come down to the scene.

“When I got there he was fine. He was conscious and laughing. We followed him to the hospital in the ambulance.

Ann, who also has a daughter, Laura, 21, said: “He’d broken his leg and his Achilles tendon was damaged. They operated on his leg but because the breaks were so severe, he had an embolism which went to his lungs.

“They kept him sedated – his lungs weren’t working properly, and it was just one thing after the other.

“His body was trying to fight but it was like everything was stacked against him and it was on the Tuesday that his condition became critical.

“He had a massive haemorrhage and the doctors carried out tests over the next 24 hours.

“Then we all made the decision to turn off the life support machine at 4.30pm on Wednesday.”

Ann, of School Lane, described David as a sensitive young man who ‘would do anything for anyone’.

“He was very thoughtful, happy and very generous. He had a brilliant sense of humour and loads of friends.

“He has an innocence about him, he wasn’t interested in going out, he was a gamer and liked to go round to his friends to play on the X-Box.

“He was studying public services at Ormskirk and Skelmersdale College, he wanted to apply for the police.

“We were all one big happy family, I just can’t believe David is no longer part of it.”

The funeral will take place next Tuesday, March 16 at 12pm at St Anne’s Church in Ormskirk. Family flowers only and donations to Queenscourt Hospice.

Michael Parry, 29 of Leeswood, Ashurst in Skelmersdale, has been was charged with unauthorised taking of a motor vehicle, careless driving, driving without a licence and driving without insurance. These charges will now be reviewed and are likely to alter. He has been bailed to appear before Ormskirk Magistrates’ Court on March 16.