A tight-knit family was 'ripped apart within six hours' when a beloved grandmother was killed in a car accident while en route to identify her son's body. Father-of-three Andrew Tinsley, 46, tragically lost his life in what has been described as 'a tragic accident' in the River Dee in Llangollen, North Wales, on 10 July.
His mother Carol Tinsley, 70, his former partner and their children aged 21, 20 and 17 journeyed from West Derby to identify his body at Wrexham Maelor Hospital. However, as they were passing through Chester, just half an hour away from their destination, the vehicle they were travelling in was involved in a severe collision - resulting in the death of the grandmother-of-six at the scene.
Details of the crash
Carol's granddaughter and Andrew's niece Lisa, 42, was on the phone with one of her cousins at the time of the dreadful crash, which occurred at 11.30pm on Parkgate Road at the junction with Welsh Road. She said: 'I don't know what happened. All I know is she got in the car and set off, and the next thing we hear is there's been a tragic car accident.'
'I was on the phone to one of the kids, who was sitting in the back seat as the crash happened. It was just a scream and a rumble and crashing. We didn't know whether the phone had broken up - obviously it fell into place afterwards.'
'The phone cut off and we were trying to ring and ring and ring and ring. Eventually we got through to my cousin and she was in the ambulance, and the paramedic took the phone off her and told me what had happened.'
'It was unreal. It was like living in a movie. It was so shocking. I don't think our lives are every going to be the same again. Within six hours, our family has been ripped apart.'
Andrew's death
North Wales Police revealed they were alerted to a bridge on Castle Street, Llangollen, at 8.16pm on Friday, July 10, after receiving reports from witnesses. Following searches of the River Dee, a 46 year old man, subsequently identified as Andrew, was discovered and rushed to hospital in Wrexham, where he passed away. Carol, a mum of two, was sadly pronounced dead at the scene of the car crash.
Lisa explained that her uncle, who was 'more like a brother' to her due to their similar ages, frequently visited Llangollen and loved swimming in the river. She said: 'We don't really know what's happened yet. We're still waiting for that information. But as far as we know, he had cold water shock to the heart. They tried to start his heart again, but unfortunately he didn't make it.'
Aftermath and fundraising
Following Andrew's tragic death, his mother Carol was summoned to identify his body, and she departed with his former partner, son and two daughters. At 11.33pm that same evening, Cheshire Police received reports of a devastating collision between a grey Cupra Born and a black Kia Sportage on Parkgate Road at the junction with Welsh Road, Chester. Carol, travelling as a passenger in the Kia, sustained fatal injuries and was declared dead at the scene. The Kia's driver, alongside two additional passengers, sustained severe injuries and were rushed to hospital. A fourth passenger sustained minor injuries. The Cupra's driver escaped unscathed. No arrests have been made and investigations are still underway.
Lisa expressed: 'We are just absolutely devastated and trying to process it all. We're just now coming to the realisation, coming to the funeral arrangements and trying to get things sorted.'
'Carol was very outgoing, very social. She was very much a people person. She loved the Royal Family, loved sitcoms, and she was so witty. She's irreplaceable.'
'Andrew was another strong character. He was very athletic, very sporty, very outgoing, and he was an amazing person.'
Lisa's daughter Derrie has launched an online fundraising campaign with the aim of collecting £8,000 for a joint funeral for Carol and Andrew. Derrie stated: 'This has broken our family as my three cousins lived with our nan from very young, she was their guardian and now they lost our nan and their dad in the same day, so they have been left with nothing.'
Lisa added: 'She wants to take the stress away from the children because a double funeral is going to cost a lot of money, as you can imagine. They're still recovering from their injuries on top of that.'
'It would mean that we would be able to grieve as a family without worrying and stressing. Being able to send them off with dignity and respect.'
'Right now, I think we're all just a bit lost. But all I keep saying is as long as we're here for each other as a family, then we'll be all right and the kids stay together.'
