Wife begged husband ‘don’t let me die’ after Wirral crash

A woman fatally injured by a careless driver begged her husband “please don’t let me die” while laying injured in the wreckage of a crash, a court has heard.

Christine Jones, 68, was a minute away from her home in Thornton Hough, Wirral when the vehicle she was a passenger in was struck by a Peugeot 3008 car driven by 62-year-old Ian Ashworth.

She had been visiting her mother in hospital before the collision at 21:05 BST on 14 August 2023.

Ashworth, of New Heyes in Neston, was given a 12-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months, after admitting causing death and serious injury by careless driving at Liverpool Crown Court.

Her mother’s partner Bryn Jones, 81, who had been driving Ms Jones home from the hospital, was also severely injured in the collision

Mrs Jones’ husband of 50 years, Alan Jones, rushed to the scene on Thornton Common Road after his wife managed to her phone out of her bag and call him despite her injuries, the court heard.

In a statement read at Ashworth’s sentencing hearing, Mr Jones said: “I kissed her, promising her she would be ok. She said she was in so much pain.

“She said, ‘please don’t let me die’. I remained with her kissing her face and holding hands.”

Mrs Jones, a great-grandmother, died in hospital from her injuries three days later.

Her husband told the court they had met on a school bus when she was 13 and had been saving money for their 50th wedding anniversary celebrations, due two months after the crash.

But he said the money had to be used for her funeral instead.

“I visit her grave everyday as I don’t want her to be alone”, he said.

“She was so afraid that evening and even managed to get her phone out of her bag to call me, desperate to see me.

“How she managed to do that with those injuries she sustained I’ll never know.”

Ashworth a former Royal Navy engineer, had been driving his Ford Fiesta and crossed into the oncoming carriageway near the Seven Stars pub.

Eric Lamb, prosecuting, said neither driver had any recollection of the collision but a forensic expert concluded Ashworth’s car “must have intruded into the south west lane”.

There was “no evidence of loss of control”, said Mr Lamb.

Ashworth suffered a ruptured spleen, which was removed, and fractured vertebrae and ribs.

When interviewed by police, he expressed remorse and asked for his apologies to be passed on.

Bryn Jones suffered fractures to his upper arm, collar bone, ribs and extensive bruising and was in hospital for more than two weeks.

Darren Finnegan, defending, said that Ashworth must have experienced “a momentary lapse of concentration”.

Mr Finnegan said his client was in hospital for 17 days and now walks with a stick.

“He has been described as a shadow of his former self,” he said.

Judge Robert Trevor-Jones said: “This is a truly tragic case. A life has been lost and another gravely affected.”

He said there was no suggestion that speed was a factor when Ashworth’s car crossed into the oncoming lane.

Ashworth was also ordered to complete 10 days of rehabilitation activities and banned him from driving for two years, with a requirement to take an extended re-test before getting back behind the wheel.