Dylan Crossey: Fight for justice for young footballer with world at his feet will continue

Dylan Crossey died while out on his bike Pic: Tracey Milligan

The mother of a teenage boy who died after being run down while cycling in Whitestake vowed to keep fighting for him as she opened up her family’s heartbreak

Dylan Crossey, a pupil at All Hallows Catholic High School in Penwortham, was aged just 15 when he died in October 2016. It took more than seven years until an inquest was finally concluded last week, with a coroner deciding against a ruling of unlawful killing. He did however deliver damning words on the conduct of BMW driver David Harwood, concluding he was likely over the drink drive limit and distracted by programming the car’s sat nav when he failed to notice Dylan and ran him down.

Dr James Adeley, area coroner for Lancashire and Blackburn with Darwen, also concluded that he believed Mr Harwood, who had previously been acquitted at a criminal trial, knew he had hit someone when he fled the scene and carried on his journey to meet a woman for a romantic encounter. This, Dr Adeley said, was “despicable” and “selfish beyond comprehension” and led to him taking the unusual step of naming Mr Harwood in the inquest’s conclusion – typically on descriptions of an individual’s role are used in such rulings.

One week on from the inquest, Dylan’s mum Tracey Milligan told Blog Preston that the family still have unanswered questions and implored anyone with knowledge to come forward. “It’s still not too late,” she pleaded.

Remembering her beloved son, she said: “He was just so happy-go-lucky. He was so clever. He was a totally amazing footballer.”

Dylan, who had trials at PNE, Manchester City and Everton, played for St Teresa’s FC and Longridge Town and dreamed of becoming a professional footballer. “I just wish I’d videoed the goals and games,” Tracey added. “He came off one game and I said ‘you can’t teach that’ as his coach said ‘no you can’t, he’s a natural talent’.

“On a Friday, he’d bring me my dinner at work – he was just such a good, caring, happy person.

“He was so clever, he was so good at football but he was never big-headed. He never thought he was as good as he was.”

Those happy memories are recalled every day by Tracey and his family but are now wrought with pain and sadness. Birthdays and Christmases are not the occasion they used to be, instead being marked by trips to Dylan’s grave.

His life was lost in the blink of an eye and Tracey says the pain is compounded by the knowledge that Mr Harwood left her son dying in the road. “It hurts terribly every day. I’ve got such good friends who are more like family and support me so well. But it’s tough. No-one can help because it’s unhelpable.”

Reflecting on the conclusion of the inquest, Tracey said she was pleased the coroner named Mr Harwood and detailed his actions on that night, which included drinking at least three beers and two glasses of wine before going out to meet a woman he’d met online. But, crucially, she still feels justice has not been served and has vowed to keep on battling.

“It’s almost like it’s over for [Mr Harwood]. There’s no punishment, he just carries on with his life. It’s not over for us. I’ve still lost my son, his family are never getting him back.”

She added: “When I first heard [Dylan had been in a crash’, I thought he’d have broken an elbow or something. To then find out the truth and to then have deal with the aftermath all these years – I’ve got the scars of that, I’ve got the pain. How could he leave him there?”

An Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) investigation remains ongoing to examine the conduct of officers involved in the investigation into Dylan’s death. Among the concerns raised by Dr Adeley were inadequate note-keeping from an interview with Dylan’s friend who was cycling with him that night.

Away from that, Tracey still hopes someone in the community will come forward with more information about what happened that night.

She said: “I know a few people have knowledge – they’ve got to come forward. They’ve got to. We’ve suffered too much as a family, we need closure.”

Tracey added: “I’d like to thank everyone for the support and to say we’re not giving up. We’re not done.”

Dr Adeley’s inquest conclusion in full

“At approximately 11 PM on Friday, 7 October 2016, Dylan James Crossey was cycling a silver Dawes bicycle on Wham Lane, Whitestake, Lancashire. Dylan was cycling in an appropriate section of the road, although without lights and in dark clothing. Dylan sustained fatal head injuries when a BMW car driven by David Harwood, collided with Dylan Crossey’s bicycle from behind.

“This collision caused Dylan’s head to strike the windscreen before he passed over the roof of the car and into the roadway. David Harwood did not see Dylan prior to the collision as he was entering a postcode into the BMW’s satellite navigation system.

“David Harwood made no attempt to either brake or swerve to avoid the collision. David Harwood was aware at the time or very shortly after the collision that he had hit a person.

“David Harwood had consumed alcohol that evening before driving to an extent that he should not have been driving. Dylan’s emergency treatment was delayed only by a matter of minutes when other motorists requested emergency assistance, David Harwood having not stopped after the collision to help. Dylan later died of his head injuries at Manchester Royal Infirmary on 8 October 2016.”

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