Distraught mother of teenager, 18, killed in a crash while heading on holiday with mates says young people need to learn cars 'aren't like computer games'
- The mother of an 18-year-old boy killed in a tragic crash has issued a warning
- Megan Rickards said parents should teach their children cars are not games
- Her son, Bailey Pleydell, died in a head-on collision on the Bruce Highway Friday
- She said the family were grieving his 'infectious smile' and affectionate nature
Megan Rickards (right) said there was an important lesson to be taught after her son Bailey's death on Friday night
A grieving mother who lost her 18-year-old son in a shocking crash on a Queensland highway has called on parents to use her family's tragedy as a warning to their children.
Bailey Pleydell was heading north for a weekend away with friends on Friday, when the car he was in slammed into a 4WD travelling south on the Bruce Highway.
Bailey was killed in the collision, while his two friends, also 18, were taken to hospital. A mother and daughter who were travelling in the second car were also hospitalised.
His mother Megan Rickards said the accident could have happened to anyone, and it was important to recognise driving a car in real life was not the same as doing it in a video game.
'I hope all parents out there can all use this example as a message to all kids that cars are not computer games,' she wrote in an emotional tribute post on Facebook.
'You're responsible for real people out there. This could have happened to anyone’s child, grandchild or sibling.
'You just don’t get second chances.'
Mrs Rickards said she heard the news of her son's death when his father, Cameron Pleydell, and police knocked on her door at 1.30 on Saturday morning.
'I didn't want to open it,' she said. 'I knew what they were going to say.'
Bailey Pleydell, 18, was killed on Friday after a head-on collision on the Bruce Highway in Queensland. He had been heading north to a holiday house to spend the weekend with friends
The teenager is remembered for his infectious smile and affectionate nature, and his family say they are 'beyond devastated' at his death
The mother-of-two said Bailey would light up a room with his 'infectious smile', and had a knack for making everyone feel special.
'He was an extremely affectionate young boy, and as he grew taller he gave giant hugs that devoured you,' she wrote.
'He had a huge circle of friends and each one of them probably felt like they were his best friend. This is just the way he made people feel.'
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Bailey had only been out of high school for a few months, and was a keen songwriter who had begun to produce his own music.
'We will miss his larger than life smile that lit up a room. His goofy sense of humour and his infectious laughter,' his mother wrote.
'We are beyond devastated and still coming to terms with the reality of it all. Bailey will remain in our hearts forever.'
Though Mrs Rickards is struggling with her loss, she said her thoughts were also with the others involved.
'Our heart goes out to the other victims of this tragedy,' she wrote. 'Their lives will be changed forever too.'
Mrs Rickards (pictured second from left) said parents needed to teach their children a car on the road is not the same as one in a computer game, and there were 'no second chances'
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