THE father of a woman who died following a two-car crash between Newport and Chepstow has spoken out about the “worst day of his life”.

Julian Smith’s eldest daughter Rhiannon, 21, passed away from injuries sustained in the crash six days after it happened on Thursday March 16.

The incident had happened at the end of the lane on which the family live on, Hendrew Lane, in Llandevaud.

Miss Smith was unconscious at the scene and never regained consciousness after the crash, which was witnessed by her mother Gill, who had been sitting at a nearby bus stop.

Despite their daughter “appearing untouched” in the hospital bed, she had suffered severe internal injuries including a broken hip and bruised lungs.

But the Diffuse Axonal injury to her brain meant that the trainee teacher was in a deep coma and on life support and, after battling for a number of days, Miss Smith passed away on Wednesday March 22.

“All the hospital events happened in a blur, somehow things happen too quickly for the brain to take it in,” Mr Smith admitted.

“At the time one event moves painfully on from the last. However, when this is over the grief that follows is unbelievable.

“The pain and anguish is unbearable. Your chest aches, your stomach churns, your head aches, not just briefly, continuously.”

In 2012, Mr Smith had suffered a stroke but he said that the “pain and anguish” of the stroke “paled in significance” compared to his grief.

While he admitted that communicating with others was “helpful”, he said his head is screaming “just bring my daughter back, just cut that second from time”.

He added: “I want to think of my daughter again with happiness and joy, not pain and grief. I don’t want to shut thoughts of her away in a box because they are too painful to bear. I miss her unconditional love, her cheeky smile and above all her cuddles.

“Many people have spoken of her joy and her passion for teaching – my wife and I have lost a beautiful daughter, Sophie a sister, Matt a loving girlfriend, many have lost a good friend and the world has lost a potentially great teacher and someone who would have been a loving mother.”

In the wake of his daughter’s death, Mr Smith said that his view of cars “had changed in a blink” and he now treated driving with more respect.

“Look at the statistics – nearly 2,000 people die on the roads ever year in the UK,” he said.

“Three a day, every day, today, tomorrow, then the next day and the next. Three families feel this grief every day – that is inhuman.”

He has also called for safer roads, in particular to the A48 near the family’s home, where he feels the road splitting the village is unsafe for pedestrians, cyclists or car users.

Around a month after the accident, Miss Smiths’ boyfriend, Matt Foster, set up a JustGiving page on behalf of friends and family.

All funds raised will go towards research into traumatic brain injuries, supporting trainee teachers to undertake their PGCSE course and supporting local schools in need of equipment or other funding, starting with the schools Miss Smith taught at.

Since being created on April 2, the page has reached more than a third of its £5,000 target with 72 supporters contributing.

To donate to the page, visit https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/rhiannonjadesmith.