'There are no words- Heartbroken parents of young girl killed in hit-and-run speak out

The heartbroken parents of a 16-year-old girl who was tragically killed in a road traffic collision have called out for investments into road safety in Ireland.

Mia Lily Keogh O’Keeffe from Meath was tragically killed in a hit and run last month when a car swerved and hit her while she had pedestrian right of way. 

Her parents, Stephen O’Keeffe and Louise Keogh O’Keeffe, recently went on The Claire Byrne Show to discuss this heartbreaking tragedy and to advocate for safer roads in Ireland.

Mia's mother Louise told Claire that "there are no words" to describe the loss of their young daughter, and that the last month has been "incredibly difficult".

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Mia's father Stephen said on Newstalk that "everyday feels like it's getting worse and worse and there's little things that unexpectedly catch you off guard.

"I literally went to just grab a coffee before the show here this morning and I seen a lightshade like a dandelion, they were one of her favourite flowers and we used to pick them and she'd be blowing them...it's songs, everything. Everything around me just reminds me of her".

Louise O' Keefe told Claire on Newstalk that on the day Mia went out to walk their dog, before the fatal road collision, the dog was trying to pull her back into the house.

"Twice he pulled her back and it was so strange because he'd never done that before. He clearly didn't want to go on the walk".

Stephen said on Newstalk that "things needed to change" and "there needs to be harsher and stricter laws and things need to move faster".

“We have a massive generation of young lads that are being taught to pass the driving test but not to properly drive”, Stephen said on Newstalk.

“There's a lot to be said about the correct mindset for driving. We need to educate people on what they're doing when they're behind the wheel of a car".

Mia’s parents, who have been involved in road safety in Navan, said on Newstalk that the Government should show stronger investment in road safety, because "it's a real danger. It's a real problem. 

“There were no measures on the main road before, simply a sign. As we've seen, not everybody is going to abide by a sign.

“We need to make sure that there are measures put in place. Ramps if needed or whatever other measures are needed to make traffic slow down, not just assume that drivers will.”

Stephen said on Newstalk that opening Facebook and seeing another person killed on the road was like 'reopening an old wound'.