On the evening of 21 December last year, 23-year-old Muhammad Faizan picked up his friend and colleague, Sharon Enoch, from her Peterborough home at 7pm. They were on their way to March, where both worked as door staff, unaware that this journey would end in tragedy.
At the same time, 46-year-old Owen Bird had finished work and made a fateful decision: he drank alcohol in his car before driving home to Whittlesey. By 9pm, Muhammad had been killed in a head-on collision, Sharon had sustained life-changing injuries, and Bird was under arrest.
Bird had swerved across the A605 at high speed, accelerating until just moments before the crash. Blood tests later revealed he was well over the drink-drive limit.
A Life Forever Altered: Sharon’s Recovery
Sharon, 43, was rushed to Addenbrooke’s Hospital, where she would spend six gruelling weeks recovering from spinal fractures, pelvic injuries, fractured ribs, a broken collarbone, internal bleeding, and sections of her bowel removed.
“My life has changed; I can’t do the job I loved anymore,” Sharon said in an emotional YouTube video recorded for Cambridgeshire Police. “It’s affected my children; they see me differently now. I was such a bubbly, outgoing person before this. I’ve lost so much of myself.”
Her young children were only able to visit her once over Christmas. The trauma of the accident left a permanent mark, a daily reminder of one night’s selfish decision.
Remembering Muhammad: A Young Life Stolen
Sharon also spoke of her late friend, painting a picture of a young man with a bright future ahead. “He was just 23, and no one ever had a bad word to say about him. We were talking just the week before about how he was looking forward to getting married and having children.”
Muhammad’s family, heartbroken, saw more than 1,000 people attend his funeral in Pakistan, a testament to the young man whose life was cruelly cut short.
Justice Served, But Pain Remains
Owen Bird pleaded guilty to causing death and serious injury while over the prescribed limit. On 21 November, Peterborough Crown Court sentenced him to eight years in prison, with a five-year driving ban to begin upon his release. Bird’s lawyer admitted that nothing could repair the irreparable damage caused.
PC Adrian Boddington, Cambridgeshire Police’s casualty reduction officer, emphasized the wider consequences of drink-driving. “Muhammad’s family will never be the same. Sharon faces years of physio and operations. Emergency services endure the trauma of lives lost. Bird must live with the consequences forever.”
Sharon’s Plea: One Night of Selfishness, a Lifetime of Regret
In her video appeal, Sharon spoke directly to the public. “You nearly had my partner tell his children that their mum’s dead, four days before Christmas. All because you wanted to drink and drive. Just don’t do it, think twice, think three times. It’s just not worth it.”
She urged everyone to consider the ripple effect of their choices, a tsunami of grief that affects families, friends, and entire communities.
For anyone concerned about drink or drug driving, Cambridgeshire Police provide a confidential hotline: 0800 032 0845 (available 24/7). In emergencies, always call 999.
WATCH HERE: https://youtu.be/f5GPgJrrYQs?si=blY32MG-maehpCfc
