New memorial in Wellingborough park remembers those killed in road collisions in Northamptonshire this year
A two-week-long memorial dedicated to those who died or were injured in a car crashes and road collisions has been installed in Irchester Country Park by a local police officer.
32 black silhouettes of road users have been installed at Irchester Country Park in Wellingborough, each representing a loved one who lost their life on the county’s roads in 2024.
The memorial was organised by Northamptonshire Police officer Emilie Bunkall, with the support of the Northamptonshire Safer Roads Alliance, which includes the Office of the Police, Fire & Crime Commissioner.
Emilie has set up a memorial each of the last four years for people to visit and remember loved ones who were affected by road collisions, herself being affected after her mum, Julie, was killed in a collision on the A6 at Burton Latimer in 2013.
She said: “In Northamptonshire alone, 1,635 people were injured on our roads last year however, this does not reflect the true cost of road collisions in the county.
"For every casualty, there are many more people who have also had their lives changed forever.
“The aim of the display is to get the public talking about the impact of road deaths, and I hope that the memorial at Irchester Country Park will provide a meeting point for people to do just that.
“Last year, we had people visiting the memorial at Abington Park, who told us that either they had lost a loved one, a member of their family had been injured or they had been involved in a collision themselves. It was very emotional.”
Police say the memorial ‘aims to raise awareness of the devastating impact of road collisions’, and has been installed as part of this year’s RoadPeace Challenge and the bi-annual United Nations Global Road Safety Week, running from May 12 until May 18.
Alongside the silhouettes there are 243 doves, which represent someone who sustained a serious injury on our roads, and 1,360 county flags to mark the number of people who received a minor injury in a collision.
Emelie and her sister, Lesley White, spent more than eight hours over two days creating the memorial, with each silhouette, dove and flag planted by hand.
Emelie added: “I wonder each year whether the display is still impactful. However, while we were setting up the display, we had lots of positive interactions with the public, many of whom didn’t realise the numbers involved.
“One teenager walked past and said that’s a lot of people! This response alone is why we do this every year. It not only raises awareness of devastation on our roads, but it also serves to spark that the all-important conversation we need to have to make our roads safer.”
When the display is taken down in two weeks, those who have loved ones represented in the memorial may take the silhouette that represents them. To do this, police are asking those to contact Emelie [email protected].