As the third anniversary of her death passes, the heartbroken family of a paramedic who died when the motorbike she was riding collided with a car that had pulled across her path are still fighting for justice.

Vicky Lovelace-Collins was just yards from her home when the crash happened on Lonsdale Road in Stevenage in September 2018.

The force of the impact caused Vicky, 37, to lose her helmet and suffer catastrophic head injuries. She was airlifted to hospital, but died two days later.

The car driver, a Turkish national, fled to Turkey when she found out Vicky had died. The Crown Prosecution Service decided last year to charge her with death by careless driving, but says there have been "challenges" in their efforts to ensure criminal proceedings take place.

It's been a year since the CPS has given an update to Vicky's family.

Vicky's widow, Naomi, said: "I've grown accustomed to silence, sadly. I have to assume they have no further information. It's unbearably sad.

"Vicky was a pillar of this community - a life-saver and a hero in the true sense of the word. That she should be forgotten, and her death go unpunished, is extremely hard to live with.

"The driver has shown no remorse and continues to live a life with her family - something denied to Vicky, to me and to Vicky's family.

"Her actions speak volumes about the kind of person she is, which only makes our pain worse. How would she feel if her husband had been killed in similar circumstances, or one of her children? I don't know how she can live with what she has done.

"I have no faith left in the justice system.

"Life without Vicky is just a series of obstacles to overcome. She filled my life with love, laughter and fun. Now it feels like I'm going through the motions of existing, rather than living."

The Comet: Vicky and Naomi were married in 2012Vicky and Naomi were married in 2012 (Image: Naomi Collins)

Vicky's family have launched a number of campaigns in their quest for justice, including a petition to put pressure on the government to ensure the driver's return from Turkey to face the courts, which has so far gained close to 80,000 signatures.

Naomi, however, said: "The campaigns we have launched feel futile. Our voices are not being heard and justice is not being done.

"It's desperately hard to cling to hope, but that's all we've got left. I honestly don't know where to go from here."

Vicky's sister, Louisa, added: "We know, whatever happens, it's not going to bring Vicky back, but we want justice for her.

"Everyone makes mistakes, and accidents happen, but for the driver to run away and put our family through even more pain, and to make us feel she doesn't care, is heartless. I don't understand how any human being can do that.

"To us, she doesn't care what she did. She's got away with it and we are the ones being punished. She can live her life with her kids. We have to live every moment of the day with Vicky's death. The pain hasn't gone. It's always going to be like it was yesterday.

"We feel we are no further on than we were three years ago, but we will not give up."

Vicky's mum Wendy said: "The past three years have been a nightmare for us all we want is justice for our Vicky.

"I feel the justice system has let us down and we have been forgotten about. I feel I cannot get peace until this woman pays for what she has done.

"I know it will not bring her back but at least it will feel my daughter has died in vain."

District Crown Prosecutor Natalie Carter, for the CPS, said: “There are challenges because the suspect is currently living abroad, but we have assured Vicky’s family we will continue to do everything we can so the driver faces the charge we have authorised of causing death by careless driving.”

To sign the petition, visit change.org/p/uk-parliament-justice-for-vicky