Legacy of Howard Hillsdon killed in ring road horror crash lives on

In May 2005, Howard Hillsdon was killed in a car crash on Oxford’s Eastern Bypass, which also took the lives of three teenage boys.

The 21-year-old was driving his best friend Daniel Orme on their way to cook dinner for their girlfriends when his Honda was hit by an out-of-control car, which crossed the central reservation on the bypass.

The other car was driven by John Radcliffe Hospital nurse Angela Dublin, and was carrying seven teenage boys - only one was wearing a seatbelt and at least one was in the boot - on the way to her son Anton’s 13th birthday party.

Yesterday a building at William Fletcher Primary School in Yarnton was dedicated in Mr Hillsdon’s memory.

The building was constructed when Mr Hillsdon was a pupil there at the end of the 1980s.

His mother, Julie Hillsdon, said: “It means a lot to us, his legacy will live on and his name will be heard and said for years to come.

“Our grandchildren go to the school and it makes us very proud that there will be a building named after him.

“He was very well-liked and such an outgoing child and that was reflected with the sheer amount of tributes we had for him after the tragedy.”

The Oxford Brookes University engineering student had just completed his studies and planned to train as a maths teacher before the crash, which also killed Liam Hastings, Marshall Haynes and Josh Bartlett, all 13.

Mrs Hillsdon said her family of teachers from Yarnton were proud her son’s name would be forever attached to the local school.

The 61-year-old said: “Howard was going to do a PGCE the following year, and I’m a teacher and so was my mother - so it’s nice that he will remembered here at a school.

“The family has always lived in Yarnton and Howard went to school here and grew up here, I’m very proud that his legacy and name will live on here now.”

His father Graham, an engineer, designed and built the sign which was unveiled on the side of the building yesterday.