HORROR SMASH
A40 Oxford crash – Heartbreaking tributes to mummy blogger and her three kids killed in accident with HGV
HEARTBREAKING tributes have been paid to a mummy blogger and her three young children killed in a horror crash with a HGV.
Zoe Powell, 29, died alongside her two daughters, Phoebe, eight, and Amelia, four, and their six-year-old brother Simeon on the A40 near Oxford.
10
Her husband Josh, 30, and their 18-month-old baby girl are fighting for their lives in hospital.
Friends have today paid tribute to the "lovely family" who had suffered a series of "tragedies" including a house fire.
Thames Valley Police said tragedy struck when the family's silver Subaru people carrier and a lorry collided near a railway overbridge last night.
The driver of the HGV, a 56-year-old man, suffered minor injuries.
'HORRIFYING'
A witness to the carnage said the family’s people carrier was left “crumpled like a can” from the smash.
David Patchett, 36, was the first person to arrive on the scene after hearing the crash from his house-boat moored nearby.
He said: “I was sat in my boat at the time when there was a loud explosion, a horrendous noise which shook through the boat.
It was a horrifying thing to see and my first thoughts were nobody had survived, that’s how bad it was.
David Patchett, 36
“The first thing I saw was the lorry on the wrong side of the road and saw the driver was sat there okay.
“The car was in the middle of the road, it wasn’t just front-end damage it looked like it had been crumpled like a can.
“It was a horrifying thing to see and my first thoughts were nobody had survived, that’s how bad it was.
“While I was on the phone to police, the man regained consciousness and that’s when I started screaming down the phone ‘get someone here now.’"
FAMILY TRAGEDY
Friends claimed the Powell family had suffered "tragedy after tragedy" after they were forced to move away from their home following a devastating house fire a few months ago.
A next door neighbour said: "They were a lovely family.
“They were renting somewhere else in Chinnor in the meantime because there was a house fire, as you can see the whole house is boarded up. It is a devastating shame."
Another neighbour said: ‘It’s dreadful news. That poor family have had nothing but bad luck."
Blogger Zoe, from Chinnor in Oxfordshire, often wrote about who much she loved being a mum and the "simple joys" of raising a family.
There are crazy, messy, stressful moments, but they are also scattered through with many beautiful, every day, wonderful moments.
Zoe Powell
She posted: "There are crazy, messy, stressful moments, but they are also scattered through with many beautiful, every day, wonderful moments.
"Things that we take for granted, which just are the way they are - like the cot they are lowered into, the pram we push, the car seat we buckle or the shoes we tie - they move on and change and we look back and realise that those everyday things were beautiful."
She also wrote about her "deep love" for painting with her young kids.
The mum also published her ‘Mama book’ - a yearly motherhood journal to support other parents to "count the joys" of raising a family.
10
10
10
10
10
'BEST FRIEND'
The couple were married when they were 18 and 19 and in an anniversary photo Zoe described her husband as her “best friend”.
She wrote in the touching Facebook post: "I am thankful for nine years of marriage to my best friend today.
"These years have been so full of so many things and I love getting to share it together.
“Who knew what these years would hold when we got married at 18 and 19!"
The wreckage of the horrific accident was said to be so distressing that emergency workers were left horrified, cops said.
'TRULY HARROWING'
Tributes have flooded into the family on social media – describing the crash as “truly harrowing”.
One woman wrote on Facebook: “I cannot begin to imagine the scene that the emergency services faced, just harrowing. A complete tragedy, my heart breaks for the family.”
Another said: “What a truly harrowing scene to have attended.”
One woman added: “What an absolute horrific accident. Poor victims. Condolences to their families.”
Sergeant Dominic Mahon from Thames Valley Police said: “We are in the very early stages of our investigation into this incredibly tragic incident that has resulted in the deaths of four people from the same family.
"The next of kin of the family have been made aware and are being supported by specially trained family liaison officers.
"We will leave no stone unturned to ascertain what has caused this tragedy."
10
10
'UPSETTING SCENE'
The officer added that emergency services have been confronted with an "extremely upsetting scene".
Sgt Mahon said: "The thoughts of all of us at Thames Valley Police, along with our partners who have assisted at the scene or at the hospital, are with the families at this incredibly difficult time.
"I would like to also pay tribute to our officers, first responders and medical professionals, who dealt with this collision.
Most read in UK News
"Our officers and colleagues from the other emergency services were dealing with an extremely upsetting scene, and I would like to thank them for the work that they carried out overnight.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
Anybody who was driving in the area at the time of the collision and witnessed what happened should contact 101, or make a report , quoting reference number 43200321914.
Thames Valley also want any dash-cam footage of the incident or either of the vehicles just prior to the incident.
10
10
Mummy blogger Zoe Powell shares her parenting journey on The Mama Book