A STONEHOUSE mother who lost her 22-year-old son in an horrific car crash has spoken of her support for a charity which helps those affected by road accidents.

Jacqui Funnell, has been a member of Road Peace for the past year. She first heard of the organisation after her oldest son Simon was killed in March 2000, while coming home from a night out in Bristol.

Here she speaks to Will Saunders about how in the depths of her grief she felt she was the only person in the world to suffer such a tragedy and how when everyone else has stopped listening she discovered a band of volunteers ready and willing to help her through her darkest days.

"For whatever reason his friend had been drinking and decided to drive home," said Mrs Funnell.

"They had just passed through Almondsbury and he went into the back of a pick-up, knocking it totally off the road.

"The car my son was in got pushed back into the middle of the motorway. The driver managed to get out, but Simon was unconscious and got hit by another four cars."

Simon died in hospital early the next morning, four days before his twenty-third birthday and his mum vividly recalls the devastating effect the accident had on her life.

"It just came like a bolt out of the blue. I was talking to him on the phone one minute about the things he was going to do, planning for his holiday and his job abroad...then hours later he was dying.

"At first I was just numb. It was like someone had come in and switched off my energy. I couldn't feel anything.

"There's so much to think of and so many things to organise. It was not until some time later, probably 18 months or two years, that it really hit home what had happened."

Jacqui of Haven Avenue, turned to Road Peace after a work colleague recommended it. Set up in 1992, the charity offers help and support to bereaved families and injured victims of road crashes.

"When a tragedy like that happens you are overwhelmed with kindness from friends and family. But six months later, when everyone else seems to have accepted what's happened, it is nice to have somebody you feel you can turn to who's not going to think 'Oh, she's not going on about that again,'.said Jacqui.

Apart from a helpline for those affected by road accidents, the charity also provides assistance with the various problems that occur after a crash, giving legal advice about court hearings and inquests. They also conduct research and promote road safety.

Road Peace is currently based in London, with branches all over the country and it is looking for volunteers like Jacqui to help with counselling and fund-raising activities in the Stroud area.

"It's still very much in the first stage in this area," Jacqui said. "At the moment we are trying to form groups around the country that victims can attend, or telephone and perhaps chat to get a bit of advice on a local basis.

"When something like this happens you feel very isolated, like you are the only person in the world that this has happened to and there is nobody else who can help or do anything.

"But there are people who can help. That's what we want to promote." For more information on Road Peace call 020 8838 5102. Anyone would like to talk to someone about a road crash that has affected them can call the Road Peace helpline on 020 8964 1021.