“Every Parent’s Worst Nightmare” Family of Sharna Burgin Speak Out After Fatal Car Crash
The parents of Sharna Burgin, who was tragically killed in a car accident in Sheffield last year, have said they are living “every parent’s worst nightmare” and that losing their daughter has left “a huge hole in their lives”, told Yorkshire Live.
Sharna, 23, a mother to a five-year-old daughter, died in a horrific crash on the Sheffield Parkway on February 26, 2023. The driver of the car, 25-year-old Leon Roberts, was behind the wheel after socializing in a pub.
Roberts drove at speeds up to 100mph, ignoring pleas from his passengers to slow down. One passenger even posted a video to Snapchat moments before the crash, captioned, “I’m gonna die.”
Sheffield Crown Court heard on Friday, July 26, that Roberts was driving Sharna and three other passengers into Sheffield after offering them a lift in his Mercedes GLA. He collided with a taxi parked in a lay-by on the A57 Sheffield Parkway.
Prosecutor Ben Campbell stated that Roberts, of Ballfield Close, Sheffield, fled the scene and surrendered to police 16 hours later. Tests showed traces of cocaine, cannabis, and alcohol in his system. He was sentenced to nine years and six months in prison and disqualified from driving for 14 years and three months.
Ahead of the sentencing, Sharna’s mother, father, and sister wrote victim impact statements explaining to the judge how their lives had been shattered by Sharna’s death. South Yorkshire Police shared these statements to raise awareness of the devastating impact of losing a loved one in a car crash.
Sharna’s mother, Elaine, said: “Every morning when I wake up, I am back in the nightmare of February 26, 2023, all over again. The events of that night will haunt me forever – being woken up by my phone ringing and hearing a police officer’s voice. My heart was literally beating out of my chest. The feeling of anxiety and sickness ran through me as I tried to keep calm.
“I feel lost and heartbroken from losing our Sharna in such a tragic way. I now come home to a quiet and empty house daily. Our Sharna used to fill the house with so much fun and laughter. I miss this so much… the pain of knowing she won’t be coming home again is heartbreaking, and just as unbearable as that very first day.”
Sharna’s father, Matthew, expressed his grief, saying: “The pain and heartbreak this has caused me is every parent’s worst nightmare, which I have to live with for the rest of my life. This has left a big hole in mine and my family’s lives, and everybody that knew Sharna. I still can’t believe I’m having to write this, as it still doesn’t seem real. I keep hoping to wake up from this nightmare.”
Roads Policing Inspector Matt Collings commented: “Sadly our officers all too regularly have to deliver the message to families that their loved one has died in a road traffic collision. It’s the worst part of the job.
“To know that someone has lost their life often due to someone else’s selfish actions is devastating and it drives our roads policing officers as we continue to do all we can to remove those who pose a risk from our roads, hold those accountable and educate road users on how to reduce the risk. No family deserves to ever go through the unimaginable pain that such collisions cause.”
Sharna’s tragic death highlights the profound and lasting impact of reckless driving and the importance of road safety to prevent such senseless losses.