Bereaved husband and dad still haunted by sound of fatal Derbyshire crash - one year on from death of his wife and son
A bereaved husband and father whose wife and son were killed by an overtaking driver on a Derbyshire road has revealed how he is haunted by the sound of the crash one year on from their deaths.
Billy Boyack’s wife Angela, 59, and his son Stephen, 22, were hit head-on by “mad” driver Joshua Hill as he overtook another car on a single carriageway on the A632 near Chesterfield.
Angela died at the scene and Stephen died of his injuries in hospital following the crash on the morning of December 9, 2023. The Boyacks, from South Shields, had been returning home from a Derbyshire holiday celebrating Angela’s upcoming 60th birthday at the time of the smash.
Billy and his son Alex, now 29, were behind Angela and Stephen in a separate car when they saw Stephen’s Hyundai i20 roll across the opposite carriageway with smoke billowing from it.
Moments before the collision Hill was seen by members of the public “driving dangerously, performing dangerous overtakes” in his BMW 4X4. A witness described Hill’s BMW X3 appearing “out of nowhere” to overtake him. Derby Crown Court heard how Hill’s passenger “hung out of the window and stuck his middle finger up, laughing as he did so”.
Speaking to Derbyshire Times about the crash a year on, Billy said: “It’s the sound of the impact that I keep reliving. In American films you get the screeches and crashes and bangs, it’s really dramatic.
"But to me it was like a short, sharp crashing sound, like you had dropped a dinner set on the floor and that was it. It was nothing spectacular – just that sound and that was it, my wife had been killed.”
Billy has shared previously unpublished footage of the collision – captured on his dashcam – with Derbyshire Times to underline the devastation caused by Hill’s driving.
When the crash happened Billy was helped by an off-duty paramedic to pull Stephen and Angela, who was already dead, from the car. Derby Crown Court heard as members of the public rushed around the smoking car to help, defendant Hill and his passenger were watching, “offering no help” and as the severity of the collision became apparent either Hill or his passenger were heard saying “run, run, run” before disappearing.
Speaking about Hill, Billy said: “It’s the fact that he (Hill) just stood by and watched. He’s just cowardly filth. He got out the car and they walked round looking at the damage then stood back and watched.”
Hill was arrested on December 11 at his mother’s address after being on the run from police for two days with a packed bag “if he needed to get away quickly”. Jailing Hill for 13 years at Derby Crown Court today, Judge Jonathan Straw told him he had engaged in “what can only be described as automotive Russian roulette".
Speaking about Stephen, a purchasing officer for an engineering company, Billy said: “He was just a young lad and did nothing wrong at all. He was just a lovely, lovely soul. He was six feet, six inches but he was the gentlest thing and would never hurt a fly. He got picked on at school and he never fought back. He was such a lovely young man.”
Billy, who adored his wife of 35 years Angela, spent her birthday this year with son Alex at a cottage in Carsington, Derbyshire. He said: “I just couldn’t be at home – it’s different enough that it won’t bring back too many memories.
"I can’t find the right word, anniversary doesn’t seem right or commemorate – we’re here for the date of the crash and Angela’s birthday. It’s Christmas time. Angela was a library assistant and she was so organised with so many things. She had all the Christmas cards done and presents and little treats organised.
"The tree always went up after her birthday. She would put the cards in alphabetical order for the card run and I would put them in address order but her mind didn’t work that way. It had to be in alphabetical order. I used to hate that but I think I’m going to miss it this year, you miss the chaos.”
Ashover Community Action Group (ACAG) has been campaigning for improved safety measures along the A632 after four deaths between August and December 2023. ACAG have called for average and fixed speed cameras to be installed along the A632 as it passes through Ashover Ward.
Councillor Helen Wetherall said the parish council had paid for speed indicator devices and was regularly measuring speeds in excess of 100 mph in a 40mph area on the A632.
She added: “Police data also shows high speeds on the road and it appears Derbyshire County Council are the only key stakeholder to be content with the current situation.” Derbyshire County Council has previously said already-completed road safety measures showed an “overall reduction in average speeds”.
It is understood Derbyshire Police’s Detective Inspector Gregory Hunt has applied for extra funding to see average speed cameras in place on the road, however Billy said: “The county council are still sitting on their hands and saying they’re doing what they can, but they’re not – they’re just prevaricating.”
A spokesman for Derbyshire Constabulary said: “The safety of roads in Derbyshire is a force priority – and we know all too well the devastating impact that collisions, especially those that see someone lose their life, can have. We work closely with our partners to make our roads as safe as possible and the A632 is no exception.
“The new Community Speedwatch group is a welcome addition to the area – and one that has seen really positive results in other areas of the county. We will continue to support county council colleagues to lobby for national funding for further road safety provisions including average speed cameras – which are in addition to the safety work that has already been carried out on the road.”
A spokesperson for Derbyshire County Council said: “We fully recognise concerns over speeding and dangerous driving on this road, and would like to pass on our condolences to Mr Boyak and his family a year after the accident.
“We have led on a number of recent interventions on the A632. This includes reducing the speed limit, working with the local Parish Council to introduce flashing speed signs in Kelstedge and carrying out work to the Span Carr Crossroads, particularly on the Alicehead junction where there have sadly been several collisions.”
The spokesperson added the council was encouraging the police to carry out further speed enforcement checks on the road and to explore extending their new speed enforcement cameras on to the route.
She said: “We do also continue to raise this road for consideration for schemes such as the Safer Roads Fund and the provision of average speed cameras. We will continue to work with the parish council, local MP and police on positive and visible changes on this road to deter dangerous driving.”