The parents of hit-and-run victim La-Nae Woodley have revealed how their family’s life has been torn apart by the senseless death of their beloved daughter.

Ms Woodley was killed when van driver Patrick Richardson Jr ignored a stop sign and collided with the motorcycle she was riding with her pillion passenger, Deidre Morgan.

Yesterday, as Richardson was jailed for four years for causing the fatal crash, heartbreaking statements prepared by Ms Woodley’s father, Dean Eve, and mother, Leah Woodley, were read to the Supreme Court.

Sobs from the friends and family of Ms Woodley could be heard from the public gallery as prosecutor Loxly Ricketts expressed the family’s grief.

“La-Nae was my first born, but we were more than mother and daughter, we were best friends,” said Ms Woodley.

“No words can express the pain and emptiness since she was taken away from me and my family.

“Her sudden death has torn my family apart. Some members blame me for her death for not giving her the family car.”

Ms Woodley, 22, was a popular sportswoman from the Friswells Hill area of Pembroke.

She had previously worked in an after-school programme before starting a course at Bermuda College before her death.

Her mother said: “The hardest time is at night when I am alone, my thoughts are with her.

“I feel such pain it is a relief to pick up her mobile phone and listen to her voice over and over.

“On April 18 someone got behind the wheel of their vehicle while intoxicated and that resulted in the loss of my daughter.

“I don’t know if I can ever forgive the loss of my daughter. No one should go through the pain of losing a child. I am proud of my daughter and she will for ever live in my heart.”

Ms Woodley’s father, Mr Eve, revealed that his daughter’s death was not the first tragic loss to hit his family; his sister had also died in similar circumstances at the age of 16.

Mr Eve condemned Richardson for “running like a coward” after the fatal crash.

He added: “When I had to tell my mother and delivered the news that she (La-Nae) had died in the same manner as her daughter she screamed and wailed. It is a sound I will never forget.

“This is such a tragically senseless loss; my eldest daughter cheated out of her life. First my sister and now my daughter. My faith has gone.”

Ms Morgan, who sustained serious injuries as a result of the crash, also provided a victim impact statement that revealed her struggle to come to terms with the loss of her cousin as well as her struggle to get her life back on track.

“April 18 was the worst day of my life,” she said. “I am grateful that I can go on trying to move forward but after all the tragedy it is the hardest thing I have ever had to do.

“This whole situation has been so unreal. You never think something like this will happen to you.

“People say that I am strong but I feel very far from it. My cousin was a star and destined for greatness.”

Police charged with investigating the fatal crash urged motorists in Bermuda to exercise greater caution on the island’s roads.

Detective Sergeant Jason Smith told The Royal Gazette: “The victim impact statements read to the court were certainly the most moving I have heard in my career. Irresponsible behaviours can result in so much loss. Some cases are irreparable.

“This case speaks to the need of the motoring public to slow down and be cautious on our roads.”

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