A Shropshire community was today mourning the death of three friends killed when the car they were travelling in burst into flames in a late-night crash.
A man and two women were killed and five others injured, two seriously, in the crash on the A495 between Whittington and Welsh Frankton on Saturday, at about 9.50pm.
Photos from the scene below
Shropshire Star video - Call for action on crash road
The families of the two women killed, both from Ellesmere, today paid tribute to them.
Corrine Thomas, of Berwyn View, was due to celebrate her 25th birthday yesterday with her partner, Daniel Batha, and their five-year-old son, Keenan, at Oswestry Truck Show. She worked as a teaching assistant at Ellesmere Primary School.
The other woman who died at the scene has been named locally as 18-year-old Kiera Smyth, who also lived in the town.
A 19-year-old man, believed to be Robert “Bob” McLoughlin, from Liverpool, also died in the crash.
Mr Batha, 26, Miss Thomas’s partner of 11 years, said they had met as childhood sweethearts and did everything together.
Today he said: “She was a brilliant mum. She lived for the little lad.
“She wanted another baby and we were trying for one, she wanted a girl. She had lots of friends and everyone knew her.”
He said his partner was on her way to Oswestry to celebrate her birthday with friends and her step-sister when she was killed.
Showing the card he had made for his mum’s birthday, Keenan said: “I loved my mum so much and the best thing I did with her was making lots of things and we did lots of fun stuff together.”
Miss Thomas’s mum, Olwen Sides, said: “She was a wonderful mother, she was the big sister anybody would wish for. Keenan was her life - she was 100 per cent Keenan and Keenan was 100 per cent Corrine.”
Miss Thomas went to Oswestry’s Beech Grove School and The Marches School. She leaves a brother Graham, 22, and 12-year-old sister Natasha.
Miss Smyth is also believed to leave a young son. Her family declined to speak today.
A 37-year-old woman is in the Wrexham Maelor Hospital with serious injuries and a 17-year-old girl, named locally as Rachel Southgate, was in the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital’s intensive care unit today. Miss Southgate is the step-sister of crash victim Miss Thomas. Both were said to be in a stable condition.
Police said a Vauxhall Corsa car containing five people was in collision with a Citroen car containing a couple and their two-year-old child. Ellesmere mayor Geoff Elner said: “I can’t believe it. My thoughts and prayers are with the families.”
By Anwen Evans, Abigail Bates and Deborah Collins
13 Comments
Kiera,Even though we know you have gone, but in our hearts you will always be here.
We have way to many memories to forget you, your laugh, your wit, and your ability lighten any room with your presence are just a few of your quailties.
You will be sadley missed by Sean, Siobhan, Gill, and Michael.
See you later
miss you all xx
How very, very sad.
Sleep tight, Love you always bob.
xx Bex xx
god bless them,i was knocked off my scooter last week a woman in a astra just shot over the junction and rammed me off the road,but this is terrible puts my injurys in the dark,rip young adults.
Miss you Kiera, Lots of Love, Jake, Tom and Helen xx
you will be missed corrine , we remeber the good times with you around.
our thoughts are with family and friends of corrine
Missen u Lwds
Corrine n keira n rob u wer da luvleyest ppl ever luv ya lwds x x x x x
mi mum ws soo lucky to survive (kirsty bate) x x x x x x
Rip to all 3 of you.bob your a legend mate and i will never forget you.kiera i will never meet someone who makes me laugh so much.i cant help but smile when i am around you.corrine what can i say the best mum you could ever meet. nite x x x
To my fab and beauiful niece Kiera
Alo Cheeky
You are going to be so sadly missed by us all,you were such a great person to know with all your daft sayings.We love you so much and you already know how special you were to us.
Love you loads
Auntie Gill,Uncle Michael,Sean & Siobhan xxx
I did not know any of the victims but my heart goes out to all who knew them and to the families. god bless you all. I pray for you all. I hope you find the strength and courage to get through the rest of your lives without them.
Alright Scruff,
I had a million things to say to you in my head, when it comes to writing them, they all seem to have gone.
Kiera i know you know we love you, we will always love you. Seems everywhere i look i see you, every song i play i hear you. You mean everything to us and that will never change. Im glad we have so many fond memories and the laughs we shared, us eating the b/burg cake in Gills place all those years ago and do you remember the sarnies in your nanies me scoffing the lot to stop you wasting them what a laugh we had at least we saw the funny side of things .
Sean will always remember you for the funniest reason one of which will make you laugh. But i will let him tell you that himself when hes ready.
Kiera,You have a good sleep now and we will all meet sometime and have a laugh and take the piss out of everyone and anyone lol somethings never change.
Again Kiera have a good sleep and rest well.
We all love and miss you. XXXXXX
what a dreadful waste of young lives I did not know any of the people involved but use this road daily and know it’s so dangerous my thoughts are with the families