Everything we know so far after two crashes two days apart both kill a woman and a baby
The residents of Shropshire have been rocked this week after two separate crashes just over 48 hours apart both claimed the lives of a woman and a baby.
On Saturday evening two cars collided on the A518 New Trench Road. A woman driving one of the cars died at the scene while a 19-month-old girl, who was taken to hospital with serious injuries, died on Monday evening.
A little over two days later, in the early hours of Tuesday, a mother and her 11-month-old baby were travelling along the A41 when their car collided with a lorry at Sutton Heath - between Newport and Tern Hill.
The tragedies have caused an outpouring of grief, with tributes, flowers and donations left for some of the victims.
Here's everything we know about both incidents so far.
The first crash
What happened
On Saturday a blue Mini collided with a grey Fiat 500X on the A518 New Trench Road at Lilleshall, between the Red House roundabout and the Clock Tower junction near Newport at around 6.20pm. West Midlands Ambulance Service said one of the cars had left the road as a result of the impact.
The driver of the Mini, a woman in her 40s, was pronounced dead at the scene, while an off-duty paramedic and off-duty firefighter performed CPR on the 19-month-old girl who had been in the Fiat until ambulance crews arrived.
The two adults who were in the Fiat with the young girl were trapped inside with multiple injuries, and had to be freed by firefighters.
Two bystanders, an off-duty paramedic and off-duty firefighter, performed CPR on the 19-month-old girl before the emergency services arrived.
Five ambulances, five paramedic officers, the Midlands Air Ambulance Critical Care Car, the MERIT trauma doctor and critical care practitioner were on scene, together with the crew from the Midlands Air Ambulance at Cosford who responded in a car.
The 19-month-old girl was then taken to Telford's Princess Royal Hospital where her condition was stabilised. She was then transferred to the paediatric major trauma centre at Birmingham Children’s Hospital where she arrived in a critical condition. Sadly, she died on Monday evening.
The injured man and woman were taken to the major trauma centre at Royal Stoke University Hospital, with their conditions said not to be life-threatening.
The victims
On Thursday the identities of the two victims were formally confirmed.
Winnie-Grace Campbell from Donnington was named as the 19-month-old who died in hospital two days after the crash.
In a statement her heartbroken mother, Ashleigh Jade Campbell, said: “Winnie was always such a happy baby girl, who loved to dance, jump and play. Without her our family now has a huge hole that will never again be filled, and she will be missed by all who had the pleasure to love her.
“She is loved so much, and will always be our beautiful baby girl."
Ashleigh said her daughter "fought a tough fight" in the two days following the crash, and that she will "always be remembered for the darling diva she was".
A GoFundMe page to help with Winnie-Grace's funeral costs had raised more than £6,400 as of Thursday lunchtime.
Meanwhile the driver of the Mini who died at the scene was also named as mother-of-four and grandmother-of-one Rachel Broadhurst, from Sutton Hill, Telford.
In a joint statement, Rachel's children Ryan, Kieran, Liam and Ella, paid tribute to their 48-year-old mother.
"She was a loving, caring woman. A mother of four and a nanny of one. She had a heart of gold and would do anything for anyone. She was the most amazing woman. Always had a smile on her face no matter what. A true family-oriented mum. She worked in the care community and she loved her job very much," they said.
Inquests
The inquests into the deaths of both Winnie-Grace and Rachel both opened at Shirehall, Shrewsbury, on Thursday. They have been adjourned until May 26.
Police appeal
Anyone with information or footage is asked to visit the West Mercia Police website or call 101 quoting incident number 523i of February 12.
The second crash
What happened
Shortly before 1am a grey Ford Focus collided with a lorry on the A41 between Tern Hill and Newport, near to Lavender Cottage in Sutton Heath.
Police confirmed that two people - a 35-year-old woman and 11-month-old baby - died at the scene.
Several ambulance crews and paramedic officers attended the scene. The driver of the HGV was assessed by ambulance responders but did not require hospital treatment.
The victims
So far the victims have not been named but police have confirmed they were mother and daughter.
On Wednesday West Mercia Police said said: "Next of kin have been informed but formal identification has yet to take place."
No inquests have taken place either.
Reaction
A woman who lives around 500 yards from the crash scene said the A41 was notorious for accidents, and she had witnessed or heard several in the last six months.
The woman, who did not want to be named said: "There have been a lot of problems, it is a fast road, particularly on the bend just before our bungalow, so much so that it doesn't surprise us when there are accidents."
Councillor Rob Gittins, who represents Cheswardine on Shropshire Council, said there was significant local concern over the dangers posed by the A41.
He called for the addition of a number of safety measures, such as average speed cameras, and said he would continue to campaign for improvements.
He said: "This is an absolutely heartbreaking accident and tragedy, but unfortunately it is not surprising. There are times I have recorded almost three or four quite bad accidents a month at times. It is a hugely dangerous road."
Councillor Gittins said better signage is also needed, as well as improved visibility for junctions along the route.
The chairman of the parish council which covers the area of the A41 on which the crash occurred has spoke of his 'shock and dismay'' at the accident.
Graham Bould, who chairs Stoke Parish Council covering the Stoke-Upon-Tern area, has also led an A41 campaign group and lives close to the scene on the Chester Road.
Police appeal
On Wednesday West Mercia Police said officers had launched a murder investigation into the crash.
Nobody has been arrested and no suspects are being searched for. However the force said it was not yet able to specify whether both the woman and her baby are believed to be victims.
A statement said: "Officers are not looking to identify any suspects but are appealing for anyone with any information about the incident."
Anyone with any information is asked to contact West Mercia Police quoting incident 14 of February 15.
