FRIENDS of a young man who died in a lorry crash have raised more than £2,600 for a charity that helped his family, by completing a half marathon.
Tyler Carley, who was 20, died when the lorry he was a passenger in overturned on the Avon Ring Road near Mangotsfield in December 2023.
His family set up the Road Forward – Tyler Carley Foundation in his memory, to help other bereaved families in the light of their own experience after his death, when they struggled to find support.
The foundation has organised a series of fundraising events for two bereavement charities, as well as CPR training.
In October eight of Tyler’s friends – Archie Croucher, Dylan Shipton, Harvey Marshall, Joe Lewis, Josh Harris, Louis Yabsley, Ollie White and Omar Chairi – ran the Cardiff Half Marathon in his memory.
The friends, who live in the Kingswood, Downend, Bromley Heath and Emersons Green area, dedicated all the money they raise via the foundation to 2wish, a charity which provides immediate bereavement support for families, individuals and professionals involved in the sudden and traumatic loss of a child or young adult aged 25 or under.
An online fundraising page set up to collect donations for the challenge had raised more than £2,600 as the Voice went to print, with donations from more than 100 people.
It can be found at tinyurl.com/3v9dwdex.
Tyler’s dad Mark said: “I want to personally thank each and every one of the lads who ran, and continue to help us raise money for Tyler’s charity.
“Tyler was a very lucky lad to have you as his friends.”
Tyler lived in Kingswood before moving to Mangotsfield and then Thornbury, attending St Stephen’s infant and junior schools, and the Castle School.
He was working as a scaffolder when he died.
As well as friends from across the areas where he lived and went to school, Tyler also had many friends from playing football for Deerswood, Longwell Green and Bristol Rovers’ development squad, and supporting Rovers.
Earlier this year Mark raised more than £4,200 – boosted to more than £5,100 with Gift Aid – on a gruelling 100km walk from Bristol to Weymouth, accompanied by his brothers Shaun and Thomas.
Last year his mum Gemma Showering and eight other relatives and friends raised more than £800 climbing Pen Y Fan in Wales.
More details on the Road Forward can be found at the charity’s Facebook and Twitter accounts, or by emailing info@tylercarley.org.