Community's grief after mother and children die in crash
3:13pm Tuesday 1st July 2008
A COMMUNITY has expressed its shock and sadness after a mother and her two young children tragically died in a horrific car crash.
Becky Kingsland, from Berkeley, died last Friday along with two of her children, Logan, 18 months, and two-year-old Alanah, in a head-on collision with a lorry.
The mother-of-four leaves behind two other children, aged eight and four, who attend Berkeley Primary School and are being cared for by their father.
"Everybody I have spoken to in Berkeley has been shocked and stunned by this terrible accident," said Valerie Watts, mayor of Berkeley.
"For two young babies like that to have been killed is just so, so sad. Everyone in Berkeley knew as soon as it happened, you could just feel the atmosphere in the town on Friday.
"Three lives have not been lived and two young children have been left without a mother - my prayers are with them."
Mary Stevens, who runs Baileys Newsagents in Berkeley high street, said: "Everybody in the town is devastated by the accident.
"Things like this affect everyone in the community, especially when children are involved."
Devastated parents Brian and Pamela Kingsland, from Plymstock, Devon, paid tribute to their daughter, saying she was a "devoted mother".
Mrs Kingsland said: "We are all so shocked by this. Rebecca was fully occupied with looking after four children.
"She was never unhappy and was always outgoing and had a great many friends."
Sean Watkins, a neighbour in the block of council flats off Station Road where Becky lived, said: "I used to see Becky and her kids around quite a lot, she was a really nice girl, very happy and kind.
"This accident has affected the whole community. It is just really sad."
Floral tributes were laid at the scene of the accident, which happened at 12.25pm on Friday on the B4066 towards Sharpness docks.
One tribute said: "There will be three bright extra stars in the sky tonight."
Another said: "I can't believe you have gone, I miss you so much. You were a wonderful girl and I feel so honoured to have known you."
Headteacher at Berkeley Primary School, Francis Lark, said: "On behalf of the school I would like to express my condolences to the family and say how sorry we are and we will support the family as best we can."
Police said Becky, 26, a single mother, was on the wrong side of the road when her Landrover Freelander was in collision with a 40-tonne articulated lorry. Becky and her two children were all pronounced dead at the scene.
The driver of the lorry, a man in his early 50s from Lydney, was airlifted to hospital with minor injuries.
A similar fatal accident happened on the same road in July 2006 when a 42-year woman was killed when her car collided with a lorry.
Carolyn King, from Baylands, Sharpness, died at the scene of the crash, which was on the B4066 not far from last week's accident.
Cllr Watts said: "I have never considered the road to be dangerous before but I do think perhaps we should have a re-think.
"Having had two tragic accidents in a short space of time makes me think it is something we should look into.
"As chairman of the town council I am going to talk to the police and ask them whether there are any issues or dangerous parts of the road."