Cornwall couple create haven for road death families

The parents of a man killed by a hit-and-run driver are converting their garage into a place for other families affected by road deaths to stay.

Ryan Saltern, 31, died after being hit near St Teath in Cornwall in July 2019.

His parents are now creating what is believed to be the first accommodation in the country specifically for people affected by road traffic deaths.

Helen Saltern said the project would give a "happy memory of our son rather than the sad one of how he left us".

The couple got the idea after using a respite facility themselves five months after Ryan died.

They were only able to access to it to due to her husband Mark's career with Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service.

Mr Saltern said: "I did 32 years with the on-call fire service. The chief fire officer at the time mentioned Harcombe House in Exeter where we could stay for respite. So we took him up on the offer and spent five days there... it was just what we needed at the time."

The stay inspired them to create Rys Haven by converting the double garage at their home in Delabole, Cornwall.

Mrs Saltern said the stay at Harcombe House, arranged by the Fire Fighters Charity, was an opportunity to process the trauma of what had happened.

"By getting away we were able to have that time just together, openly grieve, speak about what we were feeling, and just have a safe space.

"To this day it still doesn't feel real, but it is, and that is why we are doing Rys Haven."

The new room will have space for up to four people to sleep, with an ensuite bathroom, private access and a private garden.

Mr Saltern said: "Our door is always open if they want to talk, they are welcome to. But if they just want to shut themselves away and just grieve that is fine.

"We are on the north coast of Cornwall, so there are nice walks around and we are in an ideal situation. We are half an hour walk from the beach, or a ten minute drive."

They are hoping to appeal to family and close friends of people who have died as the result of road crime, and the couple said it could be for any stage of the grieving process.

"It doesn't have to be 'now'. It could be their loss was five years ago, or 10 years ago, and they are struggling", Mrs Saltern said.

It will be free to use and is being self-funded with Mr Saltern, a carpenter and joiner, doing much of the work himself.

He said: "One of Ryan's friend is a plumber so has offered to do the plumbing for us, and also someone we haven't met yet has offered to do the plastering and skimming, and we have got an electrician in the family.... so we are well set."

They were working with national charity for road crash victims, Road Peace, who would help direct people towards Rys Haven.

Kate Uzzell from Road Peace said: "You never get over the loss of someone on the roads - it lives with you forever. What Helen and Mark are doing is an amazing act of kindness for other people."

She lost her husband when he was hit by a car while cycling in north Yorkshire, in 2011.

She said: "When Martyn was killed my world changed forever, I really struggled to manage every day life, feeling a sense of panic and devastation. If there had been a facility like Rys Haven it would have provided a space of safety, near someone who knew the impact that road crashes cause.

"A change of environment can provide a release from the overwhelming thoughts and feelings, giving time to process the trauma without burdening close family and friends who are also trying to process their grief for the victim."

Each day there are an average of five road deaths in the UK, according to government figures.

In Devon and Cornwall, police recently reiterated safety advice to road users, after nine deaths between 1 April and 6 May, including a five-year-old boy.

Ms Uzzell said: "This set up, Rys Haven, is the first one we know of in the UK so it is ground-breaking and it is going to be a really interesting project to follow on and see if there is a need for this in other parts of the country."

Follow BBC Cornwall on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected].