Father watches in horror in rear view mirror as lorry crashes into his wife's car, killing her and their two children
A father reportedly witnessed his wife and two children being killed in a crash as he travelled in a separate car.
The woman, who was travelling with her children towards Barnstaple in Devon, was driving her car when it collided with an M&S lorry on the A361 near Aller Cross.
The children’s stepfather witnessed the whole thing in his rearview mirror as the family, believed to be from Milton Keynes, were reportedly heading to a holiday location.
Emergency services were called to the scene at 8.25am on Monday, with officers describing it as one of the most shocking crashes they had ever seen.
Inspector Richard McLellan, from Devon and Cornwall Police, said: “It seems at the moment we had two cars travelling towards Barnstaple – a family on holiday in the area – when for an unknown reason the vehicle had crossed the centre lines and collided with an HGV coming the other way.”
The carriageway was closed in both directions to allow the air ambulance to land and motorists were advised the road was likely to remain closed all day.
MORE: Off-duty police officer sprayed with ‘corrosive substance’ after stopping to help a car on fire
MORE: Britain’s worst roundabout revealed as SIX drivers crash within hours of opening
An M&S spokesman told MailOnline: “Our thoughts and sympathies go out to the family and friends of the individuals involved.”
The crash came just hours before a similar incident on the same road, when a mother and her two young children were left seriously hurt.
North Devon Conservative MP Peter Heaton-Jones said the A361 – known as the North Devon link road – was “unsafe”.
He told BBC Devon that short overtaking lanes that suddenly merge at not much notice” are leading drivers to take too many risks.
Police are appealing for any witnesses to the crashes to contact them.
