'My family is broken' – mother of schoolgirl killed by driver at zebra crossing

A 15-YEAR-OLD schoolgirl died after being hit by a car at a pedestrian crossing shortly after undergoing a kidney transplant to save her life.

- PHILIP DEWEY Reporter

Addressing the driver in court, the girl’s mother said: "I am broken, my family is broken - you have broken us all."

Keely Morgan was struck down as she crossed the road in Cardiff.

She was hit by a Vauxhall Astra driven by Christopher West, 42, who failed to see the teenager. Shortly before the collision he was described by his daughter as "showing off" and had removed a "black box" from the vehicle.

A sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court heard West had driven from Barry Island to Ely on May 1, 2023, with three passengers in his car, including his two daughters and their friend.

As he approached Heol Trelai in Caerau, Keely was making her way across a zebra crossing, wearing earphones connected to her iPad.

The defendant had been described as driving a "little fast" and had been "snaking" the car. Before their journey he had turned to his daughters and said: "Shall I remove the black box?" before doing so.

Nearby residents heard a loud bang and became aware a collision had taken place.

A man in the car behind West's got out of his car to help Keely. The defendant was emotional and could be heard saying: "I have just hit her - I am so sorry" and "I didn’t see her. It was too dark. She came out of nowhere. I hit her."

Keely was lying on the side of the road and had suffered significant injuries to her head and face.

The emergency services were called and it was clear the teenager had stopped breathing, so members of the public began CPR.

Medical staff arrived and noted that Keely’s left upper body was deformed and her shoe was on a grass verge.

Despite the best efforts of those at the scene Keely succumbed to her injuries and was pronounced dead at 10.02pm.

West was spoken to by police and was tested for drugs and alcohol, but his results were negative. There was extensive damage to his car, specifically the front offside and the windscreen.