Gran killed and family seriously injured in crash on way home from Blackpool Illuminations

A family trip to Blackpool Illuminations ended in tragedy when a beloved grandmother was killed and her family seriously injured in a car crash.

Former headteacher Diana Brown, 66, had spent the day with her family, visiting attractions and enjoying a horse and carriage ride before heading back to her home in Heysham. But the family's lives were torn apart after Lesley Walkerdine hit them while they were driving home in November last year.

Mrs Brown was tragically pronounced dead at the scene of the collision, while her daughter and two granddaughters were rushed to hospital. Walkerdine admitted to causing death by careless driving and three counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving, but narrowly escaped jail after she was handed a suspended sentence, reports Lancs Live.

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The court heard how on November 13, Walkerdine had been staying at a nearby holiday park and was driving towards Blackpool. As she approached a bend in the road at around 52mph, she veered across the white line and into the path of the family's Dacia, causing a collision that pushed the Dacia into a hedge.

Walkerdine, 63, was unconscious following the crash but was revived by a passing nurse. Emma Collins, Mrs Brown's daughter, suffered serious injuries including a broken collarbone

She and her two daughters, aged eight and five, were taken to hospital. One of the girls spent four days in intensive care, while the other underwent two operations for arm injuries.

Walkerdine, from Hollinroyd Road in Dewsbury, admitted to causing death by careless driving and three counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving.