Parents Of Crash Victim Forgave Driver And Let Him Live With Them

Coping with the death of their daughter allowed a couple in the United Kingdom to become close with the man responsible for her death. Elizabeth Jimenez and Fernando Jimenez shared their journey of emotional recovery after losing 23-year-old Maria Jimenez.

Maria died in a car crash on March 22, 2017, while her friend Nick Tay was behind the wheels. The two had been a part of the Hillsong Church Musical Worship Team. After a dinner with the music group, the woman had asked her friend to drive her back as she had consumed a few drinks.

Tay had been driving a Peugeot 206. The vehicle was traveling at around 110 miles per hour in southwest London. The vehicle veered off the lanes and crashed into the center guard rail. Maria, who was not wearing her seatbelt, was fatally injured. The diver sustained minor injuries, The Daily Mail reported.

Maria’s parents had moved to the United Kingdom from Costa Rica in 1995. The young woman had been studying linguistics at Brighton University. She wanted to become a teacher in Korea after finishing her college education. However, her journey came to an end due to the reckless driving of her friend.

Speaking to The Mirror, Fernando who is a priest, shared that he was overwhelmed with anger. He had fantasies of seeking revenge. When he finally met Tay in his home, the young man begged for the family’s forgiveness. Over time the religious man realized that forgiveness was the only path to healing.

Elizabeth had been more sympathetic towards Tay from the beginning. While coping with grief she started to wonder how the accused was coping. She knew that the man’s family was in Singapore. She reached out to the man and even asked for leniency in his prosecution.

While Tay awaited legal proceedings, the Jimenez family allowed him to live with them. Pleading guilty to causing death by dangerous driving and causing death by driving an uninsured vehicle, Tay was sentenced in November 2017. He was sentenced to five years in prison of which he only had to serve three-and-a-half. However, after being released from prison he was immediately deported.

The Jimenez family is still in contact with Tay who is now married and awaiting the birth of his first child. They hope to someday meet after COVID-19 travel restrictions are relaxed.