Crash widow finds forgiveness through faith

“I am blessed I have a strong faith, and I have an army in Heaven that kick me out of bed every day.”

A woman whose family died when a suicidal driver hit their car during a holiday in Britain has spoken of how her strong faith supported her through the tragedy and gave her the strength to forgive.

Elber Twomey, from north Cork, was the sole survivor of a car crash in Torquay in 2012, that claimed the lives of her husband Con, her 16-month-son Oisín and her unborn daughter Elber Marie. Polish taxi driver Marek Wojciechowski deliberately rammed their car as he was pursued by police who had been alerted to his suicidal state.

Ms Twomey told RTÉ Radio this week that her ability to forgive Mr Wojciechowski has allowed her not to “become a bitter person.

“I have forgiven him. If I hadn’t, I really believe I would be very bitter and angry. Of course he was at fault, but to forgive him has not allowed me to become bitter – bitterness and anger are not good for anyone,” she said.

“I am blessed I have a strong faith, and I have an army in Heaven that kick me out of bed every day.”

Ms Twomey recalled that, after the crash, a priest friend asked her if she prayed for Mr Wojciechowski and when she said no, he offered pray for him on her behalf until she felt she could do it. “I said I hope you live to be very old because I doubt that I will ever pray for him. That was September and, the following November, the month of Holy Souls, I started lighting a candle in the church and praying for Marek.”

Police in Britain have changed their operating procedures for dealing with the pursuit of suicidal drivers following an investigation into the crash. Ms Twomey is now campaigning for gardaí to receive similar specialist training and recently addressed gardaí at Templemore.