A family has been left devastated after a grandmother was killed in a car crash while on her way to identify the body of her son who died in a river accident.
Andrew Tinsley, a 46-year-old father of three from Liverpool, died in what has been described as a tragic accident in the River Dee in Llangollen, North Wales, on July 10. His family went to identify his body at Wrexham Maelor Hospital.
His mother, Carol Tinsley, 70, his ex-partner, and his children aged 21, 20, and 17 were traveling from West Derby, Liverpool, when they were involved in a crash while passing through Chester. Carol, a grandmother of six, died at the scene.
Crash details and family account
The collision occurred on Parkgate Road at around 11:30 pm. Carol's granddaughter and Andrew's niece, Lisa, 42, was on the phone with one of her cousins at the time of the crash.
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 ever going to be the same again. Within six hours, our family has been ripped apart.'
Andrew's death and investigation
Andrew died at a hospital in Wrexham following a search of the River Dee. North Wales Police said they were called to a bridge on Castle Street in Llangollen at 8:16 pm on July 10.
Lisa said her uncle, who was 'more like a brother' due to their close ages, regularly visited Llangollen and enjoyed 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.'
Following Andrew's sudden death, his mother Carol was called to identify his body and set off with his ex-partner, son, and two daughters.
Collision aftermath
Cheshire Police were called to reports of a serious crash between a grey Cupra Born and a black Kia Sportage, resulting in Carol's death. The driver of the Kia and two other passengers suffered serious injuries and were taken to hospital, while a fourth passenger suffered minor injuries. The driver of the Cupra was uninjured. No arrests have been made and enquiries remain ongoing.
Lisa described Carol as '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 described as 'another strong character. He was very athletic, very sporty, very outgoing, and he was an amazing person.'
Lisa's daughter Derrie has set up an online fundraiser aiming to raise £8,000 for a double funeral for Carol and Andrew. Derrie said: '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.'
