Bench dedicated to teen killed after car crashed into group of people in Oldbury on anniversary of his death
A bench honouring the life of a teenager who was killed in a road traffic incident has been unveiled in a Dudley park a year on from his death.
Ben Corfield sadly lost his life at the age of 19 on November 20 last year.
The teenager was killed alongside his friend, Liberty Charris, when a car struck a group of pedestrians on Oldbury Road.
Ben was the former chair of the Dudley Youth Council and also represented the borough on the Youth Parliament.
Now, a year on from his death, a bench stands in his honour in Dudley's Coronation Gardens.
The bench was unveiled by the Mayor of Dudley, Councillor Andrea Goddard, on Monday, who described Ben as a "real civic hero".
"What Ben managed to achieve in such a tragically short life is truly astounding and it is only right we honour him and his work with a bench in the shadow of the council house," she said.
"It was a real honour to be asked to do this today and I hope we can inspire other young people to help others in their communities. Ben was a real civic hero."
Alongside his work on the youth council, Ben also volunteered at the Black Country Wellbeing Centre, was an active Street Watch member and ran for the position of Dudley's youth police crime commissioner.
Also in attendance to see the bench unveiled on Monday was Ben's parents, Damian and Lynette Corfield, who were joined by family members and former mayors of Dudley.
Councillor Damian Corfield said the bench would allow family and friends to "quietly reflect" on his son's death.
He added: "We have lost a son and Dudley has lost an inspirational young person who spent his life helping others.
"He went above and beyond in every aspect of his life which was cut way too short.
"We hope this bench will allow his friends and family to quietly reflect on what Ben managed to achieve in his heartbreakingly short time with us."
