Maura Higgins blames herself for death of her best friend killed in a motorbike crash hours after she turned down dinner plans
MAURA Higgins says she blames herself for the death of her best friend who was killed in a motorbike crash hours after she turned down dinner plans.
The 28-year-old has admitted her regret that she "couldn't be bothered" to get out of her pyjamas and go out with her pal Andrew Rowan that fateful night.
Opening up about her heartbreak to the Mirror, Maura admits she used to believe there's a chance Andrew wouldn't have died if she had gone out with him that evening.
She explained: "For so long, I used to think that if I had gone for dinner with him that day, when he had asked, he wouldn't have been on that motorbike.
"My family kept saying to me, 'Maura, you can't think like this, it was going to happen', but I just kicked myself for so long and got worked up about it for so long."
Andrew, 26, died when his bike collided with three cars in Co Athlone, Ireland in 2017.
The popular digger driver had left behind parents Tom and Margaret, siblings Thomas and Susan, and devastated Maura and her sisters Becki and Louise, who grew up with him.
A source told The Sun Online: "It was devastating for everyone who knew Andrew, he was well loved and respected.
"It was shocking and especially tough on Maura, her sisters and her fiance as they all grew up together."
Andrew's death culminated in a tough year for hard-working Maura whose career had soared thanks to modelling work in Dubai and America - but her relationship crumbled.
On Instagram, Maura, 28, remembered her "best friend" Andrew on the anniversary of his death last year in an emotional tribute.
She shared a gallery of photos that showcased their bond and happier times together and affectionately called him 'Maddog'.
Maura wrote alongside her post: "Words will never ever explain the heartbreak.
";my best-friend, my brother, my rock, my world will never ever be the same without you. I Love you maddog"
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