A PROMINENT Falmouth businessman has posted a heartfelt plea to people to not drink and drive, 25 years after his daughter and her brother were killed when a drunk driver hit their car head-on.

The owner of Kimberley's Independent Estate Agents Steve Kimberly posted his public message on Facebook yesterday and asked people to share to everyone they know on what would have been his daughter Lucy's 36th birthday.

Lucy, 10, his son Matthew, 12 and their good friend Ben Jewell all died in the horrific accident in 1996 when his car was hit head-on by a "paralytic" drunk driver in a Range Rover at Notter Bridge, Plymouth.

Matthew and Lucy. Picture Steve Kimberley/Facebook

Matthew and Lucy. Picture Steve Kimberley/Facebook

Yesterday he appealed for everyone to wish Lucy a "massive" happy birthday on what would have been her 36th year. In his post he said she a "rare ability to light up any room she entered with her lovely personality and caring manner which included people and all animals."

Recounting the immediate aftermath of the accident he said: "The airbag saved me but our three kids didn’t stand a chance of survival.

"The police said they calculated our combined impact speed at around 120mph, and with no chance to brake as he straightened the bend in two tons of Range Rover, then ploughed through through our vehicle, the effect was devastating.

Matthew and Lucy. Picture Steve Kimberley/Facebook

Matthew and Lucy. Picture Steve Kimberley/Facebook

"I will never forget the sound of breaking glass and crumpling metal or the smell of diesel and burning fluids,the vacuum as the air left the car and my chest. Followed by a momentary deathly silence whilst people take stock of what’s happened being trapped in the car and cut from the wreckage is something that will never leave me."

He said this "senseless and totally avoidable tragic event" was "life-changing" for him, the families, friends and work colleagues who had to deal with the mental and physical aftermath and grief.

"I make no apologies for using their birthday’s, the festive season or the anniversary of the accident to spread my message as far and wide as I can. I owe it to Matt, Lucy and Ben to make people listen and hopefully get the message through that drink/drug driving is not ok.

"Please can I ask you not to drink or take drugs then drive any sort of vehicle because it has disastrous consequences and changes lives.

"The law should be complete zero tolerance for drivers."