A family was left devastated after a grandmother died in a car crash while traveling to identify her son's body. Carol Tinsley, 70, was killed in a collision in Chester, just 30 minutes from Wrexham Maelor Hospital where her son Andrew Tinsley, 46, had died earlier that day.
Double tragedy unfolds
Andrew Tinsley, a father of three, died in what was described as a tragic accident in the River Dee in Llangollen, North Wales, on July 10. His mother Carol, his former partner, and his children aged 21, 20, and 17 set off from West Derby to identify his body. However, as they traveled through Chester, their vehicle was involved in a serious collision at 11:30 pm on Parkgate Road at the junction with Welsh Road, claiming Carol's life at the scene.
Carol's granddaughter Lisa, 42, was on the phone with one of her cousins when the crash occurred. 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."
Details of the incidents
North Wales Police were called to a bridge on Castle Street, Llangollen, at 8:16 pm on July 10 after witnesses raised the alarm. Following a search of the River Dee, Andrew was recovered and rushed to hospital in Wrexham, where he later died. Lisa described her uncle as a frequent visitor to Llangollen who 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."
At 11:33 pm the same evening, Cheshire Police received reports of a serious collision between a grey Cupra Born and a black Kia Sportage on Parkgate Road. Carol, traveling as a passenger in the Kia, suffered serious injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the Kia and two other passengers suffered serious injuries and were hospitalized, while a fourth passenger sustained minor injuries. The Cupra's driver escaped without injury. No arrests have been made and investigations are continuing.
Family's grief and fundraising
Lisa said: "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 aiming to collect £8,000 to cover 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."
