A mother was driving home from a birthday party with her two children when a tragic accident took their lives. After losing her babies, the bereaved mother assumed she would never be able to have another child until fate surprised her with a “gift.”Rhiannon Lucas, of Tredegar, Wales, lived happily with her two children, Jayden Lee Lucas, 3, and Gracie Ann, 4. Rhiannon, like most mothers, wanted the best for her children, oblivious to the fact that they wouldn’t be with her for long.
On February 5, 2022, it was just another day for the family as they drove home from a birthday party. The kids sat in the backseat while their 25-year-old mother drove.Rhiannon’s daughter mentioned that she needed to use the restroom. As a result, the mother carefully maneuvered her car onto the Newport hard shoulder. When Rhiannon pulled over, things took an unexpected turn.
Her world was turned upside down in an instant when a van collided with her vehicle. Martin Newman struck the family’s vehicle, sending them to the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff in critical condition. Rhiannon, who had suffered serious injuries, was taken aback by what the doctors told her about her children. Her daughter died the next day, while Jayden died a week later on February 11.
Authorities discovered that Newman was driving under the influence when they investigated the cause of the crash. He had drunk so much cocaine the night before the crash that he couldn’t go to work the next day. When asked how he hit Rhiannon’s car, a distraught Newman said he couldn’t remember anything and assumed he had fallen asleep while driving. Meanwhile, Rhiannon’s life became a nightmare after she lost her children in a horrifying accident.
She could only think about her irreplaceable loss, not realizing she would receive a “gift” from heaven the following year. Rhiannon admitted that her family had “been to hell” after Newman rammed his van into her car. She went through the worst after losing her beloved babies. Two months after the tragedy, the mother posted a birthday message for Jayden, who would have been four years old if he were still alive.
She captioned a video of her children’s graves with flower bouquets and colorful balloons, “Mammy has been up this morning putting flowers and balloons.” I hope you and your sister are taking care of one another.”Rhiannon thought the pain of losing her babies was unbearable until fate surprised her with something unexpected. While the mother’s liver and kidneys were injured in the car accident, leading her to believe she couldn’t have another child, she soon discovered she was pregnant.
Rhiannon admitted that she had already guessed the gender of her baby based on her cravings. They were similar to the ones she had before giving birth to Ann.
Rhiannon and her partner welcomed their baby girl, Summer-Gracie, into the world on March 30, 2023. The mother believes her late children sent them the little girl as a “gift.” She went on to say:
“This little girl has given us renewed hope and brought us back to life.”Newman, 41, was charged with killing the two children and injuring their mother while driving drunk. In court, the man was sentenced to nine years and four months in prison. Furthermore, he was barred from driving for 14 years and eight months by the authorities.
Rhiannon and her family were dissatisfied with Newman’s sentence, believing it was insufficient. As a result, they requested that the sentence be reviewed by the Attorney General’s office under the Unduly Lenient Sentence (ULS) scheme. It gives the legal authorities 28 days to make a decision on the public’s request and refer the case to the Court of Appeal.
The authorities, however, denied the family’s request, and Newman’s sentence remained unchanged. The decision disappointed the children’s grandfather, Jason Lucas, who stated: “I don’t believe in the rule of law anymore.” The 52-year-old thought Newman’s sentence should have been increased because he would be released and reunited with his children, but the Lucas family’s “suffering will never end.
“Meanwhile, the children’s father, Joseph Wheaton, expressed his emotions while recalling what happened in court. He remembered Newman standing in court and expressing his desire to see his children.