Mum of Hastings boy killed in crash urges drivers to 'think twice'

11-year-old Harry Dennis, from Hastings, was killed in a collision near Bexhill when a plank from a passing truck smashed through the windscreen of the Dennis family car.

Maria Dennis, Harry’s mother, said: “He was a happy little boy. He loved being outside, he was always jumping off things or climbing trees.

Harry was a 'happy little boy' who always made people laugh (Image: Sussex Police)

“His love of football began when he joined Hastings Athletic. He was always found in a football kit with a ball at his feet.

“He was always the joker, he loved making people laugh and was always loving, kind and caring.”

Harry was in the front seat of the family car on the way to a hospital appointment when an unsecured scaffolding board protruding from the side of the passing truck broke through the windscreen on December 15, 2022.

The scaffolding board caused serious injuries and Harry died days later (Image: Sussex Police)

Harry, who attended Hastings Academy, was taken to King’s College Hospital, London, in an air ambulance and mum Maria was collected and taken there by Sussex Police.

Maria said: “I had no idea what happened. My brain could not understand it. It was like watching yourself in a dream.

“I was thinking it will all be fine, it’ll be alright.”

Harry underwent surgery after which Maria was met by a team of neurosurgeons and told “things were not good”.

Harry was declared brain dead despite the efforts of emergency services, doctors and surgeons at the hospital.

To help others, Maria decided to donate Harry’s organs to others in need following his death.

Maria said: “He lived his life to the fullest. We thought if he could give something to someone else, that could make a huge difference, that is the right thing to do.

Harry was a football fanatic and played for Hastings Athletic Football Club (Image: Sussex Police)

“Harry saved five other people.

“Walking out of that hospital without him was the hardest thing we have ever had to do.”

Maria is sharing Harry’s story in the hopes of persuading drivers to be more responsible and preventing similar tragedies.

She said: “I want to try and change people’s mindsets. People always think it’s not going to happen to me, this is how I always travel, we’re only going down the road, that’ll do.

Mum Maria is urging drivers to think before they drive dangerously (Image: Sussex Police)

“Actually, it won’t do. Harry lost his life. He couldn’t learn to drive, he couldn’t go down the pub for the first time, he couldn’t get his first job.

“He had that taken away because someone could not be bothered to check their load.

“People need to stop and think for a second.”

“We have to live with this for the rest of our lives.”

Russell Le Beau was arrested following the incident on the B2095 near Hooe and later charged with causing death by dangerous driving.

Russell Le Beau was convicted for causing death by dangerous driving (Image: Sussex Police)

Le Beau was driving the Ford Transit flatbed van owned by his business.

Investigators found that the wooden boards were only clamped down by a metal pole at one end, at the very rear of the van, with no ratchet straps, net or tarpaulin securing them.

He was sentenced in March of this year to four years in prison and disqualified from driving for seven years after admitting the offence at Lewes Crown Court.

The scaffolding board was hanging off the side of the van (Image: Sussex Police)

National campaign Operation Spotlight has been launched by police to highlight the ‘fatal four’ driving behaviours, which include speeding, driving under the influence of drink or drugs, not wearing a seatbelt and mobile phone use.

The National Police Chief’s Council has reported that the number of people killed or seriously injured on the roads increased by over 20 percent in July, up from the monthly average number between 2018 and 2022.

Sussex Police Chief Constable and National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for roads policing Jo Shiner said: “Our roads are busier in the summer due to holidays and days out, plus an increase in vulnerable road users such as cyclists, pedestrians and horse riders, so this is all the more reason to drive safely and be more vigilant.

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“We consistently see a rise in fatalities and serious injuries through these months with on average more than 2,700 people killed or seriously injured each July over a five year period.

“For each one of those people, there will be multiple friends, families and communities affected and the true impact is almost impossible to quantify.

“The key fact that stands out to me is that each and every one of these incidents was completely avoidable.

“Driving in excess of the speed limit is a conscious decision, driving or travelling without wearing a seatbelt is a conscious decision, driving under the influence of drink or drugs is a conscious decision and using a mobile phone while behind the wheel is a conscious decision.

“You can choose not to do these things and many lives can be saved as a result.

“Every casualty is one too many and we all have a responsibility to keep each other safe on the roads.”