The family of a young woman killed in a tragic crash on the M2 have told of the unbearable pain of life without her.
Saskia Weatherley was on a last-minute run for presents at Bluewater when she died in a single-car collision near the Gillingham turn-off on Christmas Eve.
The Weatherley family. From left to right: Richard, Julie, Saskia and Max
Her death has left a huge hole in the lives of her parents, Richard and Julie, and her brother, Max.
Speaking to KentOnline at the family home in Newnham, near Faversham, they remembered the 29-year-old as “generous, creative, selfless and ambitious”.
“She was just such a lovely child, and she continued to be as an adult, just so easy to get along with,” said Julie.
“Saskia understood people, listened to people, influenced people – she was an inspiring person.
“You had to make sure when you were involved with her, you were making an active effort to talk about her too, and what she was doing. She would never bring herself up.
“She wouldn’t tolerate people who weren’t fair to her, but she would always engage with people, give everyone time of day.”
Saskia had secured a diploma in fashion design and harboured hopes of making it in the industry.
Saskia Weatherley secured a degree in fashion design from Ravensbourne UniversitySaskia Weatherley with her mum, Julie
“It’s frustrating as a father. She was just getting herself to a point where she was starting to see how her life might pan out,” Richard said.
“She had been like a lot of young people, really. You don’t know what you want to do, and if you’re not careful, you just drift down the avenues that open in front of you.
“But she wasn’t like that. She definitely wanted to be in control of her life.”
Originally from Shorne, near Rochester, Saskia attended King’s School Rochester, before later studying at Gad’s Hill, Canterbury College and Ravensbourne University, where she received her diploma.
She had stepped up to take a major role in the family business, TCS Micropumps, as an accounts manager – putting to good use her financial know-how.
As the business grew more successful, there had been hopes of expanding and opening a design firm with Saskia at its heart.
“I remember the day she got her degree,” said Richard.
Saskia Weatherley with her dad, RichardSaskia Weatherley was a ‘happy and selfless’ young woman
“It was pretty cool because your kids grow up, but you don’t see them grow up when you’re a parent. She still looks eight to me.
“And then suddenly someone’s handing her a degree – they’re always cleverer than you think they are, your kids.”
In the background, Saskia was working on a range of men’s accessories made from carbon fibre, as well as a variety of horse-related products.
Having two horses, she had been in the process of building her own stable at the family home – the latest step in her lifelong love affair with the animals.
It first began when she attended a friend’s pony-riding birthday party at the tender age of five.
She had also owned huskies, and her family say she would have liked to be remembered as an animal lover.
She was also a keen sailor and swimmer, and was always the first one to say yes to a few days on the family yacht or a trip away.
Saskia Weatherley had hopes of making it as a fashion designerSaskia Weatherley loved boats and to be on the water
She also experimented regularly with her look, and could often be seen sporting wildly different hairstyles in the same week – a quirk which brought a lot of joy to the family.
Her brother, Max, says “this world isn’t as good as it used to be because she’s not in our lives every single day anymore”.
“Every day of my life I’d spent with her, and I don’t think we ever argued. She was my team-mate, she was my wing-person,” he said.
“The hardest part is literally adjusting to not seeing her every day.
“As kids, we played Lego together, we were always together.
“In all our hobbies, we’ve always supported each other. If I had a motor race, she’d be there, and when she had a horse event, where she did cross-country or something like that, I did her pit-stops, so to speak.
“I don’t think there’s been a day in my life when we haven’t seen her in one way or another.”
Saskia Weatherley lived with her parents and brother in Newnham, near FavershamSaskia Weatherley’s family say she would have liked to have been remembered as an animal lover
A tight-knit family, Saskia lived with her parents and brother in Newnham, near Faversham.
They say her death has been incredibly hard to process, with the last time they saw her a particular source of anguish.
Having spent the day before in London with Richard, Saskia had left the family home at lunchtime on Christmas Eve to go to Bluewater.
“If I’d known she was going, I would have said, ‘You came with me yesterday, I’d love to come with you’,” said Richard.
“If I’d just given her a hug for five more seconds. And then just gone, wait, give her another hug.”
The Weatherleys say they remain in the dark over the exact circumstances of the crash that claimed Saskia’s life.
It was reported she struck the central reservation before her Volkswagen T-Roc overturned.
Saskia Weatherley’s family say she was ‘generous, creative, selfless and ambitious’Saskia Weatherley loved husky dogs
They say she had never had an accident before and was a “relaxed, safe and confident” driver.
Though it has been confirmed Saskia did not hit another car, the family are keen to know if any other vehicles were indirectly involved – possibly after joining the M2 from the services.
“One of the questions is, did she have some sort of medical episode that caused that? If you didn’t know her, that would seem a reasonable conclusion. But she looked after herself,” said Richard.
“The police, of course, are waiting for the toxicology report, but we know what it’s going to say. – it’s going to say nothing.
“I believe her car hasn’t hit another car, but that doesn’t mean she hasn’t done this trying to avoid another car.
“I’m not on some vendetta to find out it’s someone else’s fault, because even if it was someone else’s fault, they didn’t do it on purpose.
“But I think we very much would like to know what happened. We just want the truth.”
As they wait for answers, the devastation of losing Saskia is with the family every day.
“You can’t face it head-on,” Richard said. “It’s unbearable, so you can only distract yourself.
“Obviously, a few hundred times a day it comes to you, but you’ve got to deal with it like that.
“You can’t just stop everything and just think about that because nothing you do changes it. It doesn’t bring her back.”
Anyone who witnessed the crash or saw Saksia’s car beforehand is urged to call the police appeal line on 01622 798538, quoting reference BS/AW/092/25.