Family's road safety plea

GRAHAM Ralph lost his daughter to a dangerous driver - and these holidays he is pleading for everyone to be careful on the roads.

GRAHAM Ralph lost his daughter to a dangerous driver - and these holidays he is pleading for everyone to be careful on the roads.

Not a day passes without Mr Ralph and his family mourning the loss of Abby, 9, in a crash caused by a reckless driver 10 years ago.

The family had no choice but to turn off Abby's life support when it became clear she would never recover.

"We had to tell our daughter, Lauren, that Abby was not coming back  ...  my wife Alison collapsed sobbing," Mr Ralph said.

"The doctors sobbed, the nurses sobbed, we all just could not believe what was happening - and happening to us.

"I really think that if people read this, a true story of what happens in real life, to real people, they may just think twice about their driving."

Abby, her sister and mother were involved in a crash at O'Halloran Hill in January 2003.

Their car was hit by one driven by Jarrod Damien Payne, who sped through a red light. Payne was later jailed for three years.

"Abby is irreplaceable and, after 10 years and everything we've been through, I still look back to see where she is," Mr Ralph said.