‘Unforgettable whirlwind’ biker killed in crash remembered by family

Amy Cooper’s family described a ‘big hole’ in their lives where Amy should be

The family of an ‘unforgettable whirlwind’ woman has shared their story after she died in a crash in 2022. Amy Cooper was travelling on her motorbike near Holbeach, just over the border in Lincolnshire, when she was killed by an overtaking car.

November 13, 2022, was a foggy day and Amy was riding her Kawasaki motorbike after spending an afternoon with friends. The driver of a BMW crossed to the wrong side of the road to overtake another vehicle driving sensibly in the foggy conditions – before hitting Amy, who had no chance to react.

Amy’s mum, Amanda, said: “She was thrown about 60 yards down the road. Her injuries were extensive. Her bike was embedded in the car. Her rucksack was found 20 feet up a tree.”

The driver of the BMW went to speak to Amy, but then called someone to be picked up and ‘disappeared’, Amy’s mum said. The driver of the vehicle that had been overtaken went to help Amy, as did someone who lived in a cottage nearby and several other drivers who stopped at the scene.

Paramedics looked after Amy and she was still alive when she reached the hospital. However, her injuries were devastating and her family had to say goodbye to her.

In a new video about road safety, Amy’s family speak about how their lives were split in two forever when Amy was killed. Amanda said: “There’s just this big hole now where Amy should be. I keep going. I have family to care for. I need to go to work. Grief doesn’t pay the bills.

“But she’s never far from my thoughts. I can go along for a while being kind of numb and coping, but then every now and again, I still get this feeling of just despair and this sickness in the pit of my stomach, like somebody’s just kicked me; that this is real. She’s really not coming back.”

Amy’s sister, Sam, said telling her daughter about Amy’s death was the most difficult thing she has had to do in her life. “I’ll never forget that conversation,” Sam said. “I had just this crushing guilt that I need to introduce my 5-year-old to the concept of death and that her Auntie Amy, who she loved to pieces, has died and you’ll never see her again.”

Amy’s family are utterly determined to improve road safety. They are asking people to take more care on the roads and consider the devastation that can be caused in a split second.

Sam said: “I want Amy’s legacy to be that somebody takes a moment and thinks what happened to her, you could so easily cause to happen to someone else. You could be the safest driver in the world – but it’s that one decision.

“You take that chance, and Amy could be coming in the other direction. Somebody’s Amy, your Amy, could be coming in that direction. And then that’s it. That’s somebody’s life over. That’s your whole life changed as well.”

Data from the Department for Transport has “ineffective observation” as the main factor leading to crashes. This was recorded in 53% of collisions attended by police.

Amanda added: “I just wish people would take a deep breath, step back and think, is it worth it? Do I really need to be there 30 seconds quicker? Is it worth risking that overtake when you can’t see what’s coming, whether there’s a bend, or a bridge, or the visibility is not great. It’s not worth it. That could be your child, that could be your partner, your friend that is killed or severely injured.”

Amanda concluded: “She has been robbed of her whole adult life. It just is so unfair.”