A Cornwall couple are creating a refuge for families of road fatalities

The parents of a man killed by a hit-and-run driver are turning their garage into a place for other families affected by road deaths to stay.

His parents are now creating what is believed to be the country’s first accommodation specifically for people affected by road traffic deaths.

Helen Saltern said the project would provide “a happy memory of our son, rather than the sad one of how he left us”.

The couple got the idea after using a respite facility themselves five months after Ryan’s death.

They were only able to access it because of her husband Mark’s career with the Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service.

Mr Saltern said: “I have done 32 years with the on-call fire service. The Chief Fire Officer at the time mentioned Harcombe House in Exeter where we could stay for respite. So I took him up on the offer and spent five days there. .. it was exactly what I needed at the time.”

The stay inspired them to create Rys Haven by converting the double garage at their home in Delabole, Cornwall.

Ms Saltern said the stay at Harcombe House, organized by the Fire Fighters Charity, was an opportunity to process the trauma of what had happened.

“By getting away, we were able to spend that time together, grieve openly, talk about what we were feeling and just have a safe space.

“To this day it still doesn’t feel real, but it is, and that’s why we’re making Rys Haven.”

The new room will have space to sleep up to four people, with an en-suite bathroom, private access and a private garden.

Mr Saltern said: “Our door is always open if they want to talk, they are welcome. But if they just want to shut down and grieve, that’s fine.

“We’re on the north coast of Cornwall so there are beautiful walks and we’re in an ideal situation. We’re half an hour’s walk from the beach or ten minutes by car.”

They hope to appeal to family and close friends of people who have died as a result of road traffic offences, and the couple said it could be for any stage of the grieving process.

“It doesn’t have to be ‘now.’ It could be that their loss was five years ago, or 10 years ago, and they’re struggling,” Ms Saltern said.

It will be used free of charge and is self-funded, Mr Saltern, a carpenter and joiner, doing much of the work himself.

He said: “One of Ryan’s friends is a plumber so he offered to do the plumbing for us and also someone we haven’t met yet offered to do the plastering and degreasing and we have a electrician. .. so we are well prepared.”

They were working with national road accident charity Road Peace, who would help direct people to Rys Haven.

Kate Uzzell from Road Peace said: “You never get over losing someone on the roads – it lives with you forever. What Helen and Mark are doing is an amazing act of kindness for other people.”

She lost her husband when he was hit by a car while cycling in North Yorkshire in 2011.

She said: “When Martyn was killed my world changed forever, I really struggled to cope with everyday life, feeling a sense of panic and devastation. If there was a facility like Rys Haven, it would provide a safe space, near someone. who knew the impact road accidents cause.

“A change of environment can provide a release from overwhelming thoughts and feelings, allowing time to process the trauma without burdening close family and friends who are also trying to process their grief for the victim.”

Ms Uzzell said: “This setup, Rys Haven, is the first that we know of in the UK, so it’s ground breaking and it’s going to be a really exciting project to follow and see if there’s a need for it. in other parts of the country”.