Mum reveals devastating moment she realised daughter, 3, had died in M6 crash

A mum has revealed the devastating moment she realised she had lost her three-year-old daughter in a crash on the M6.

Faye Dawson was travelling home from Blackpool illuminations in the car with her mum Beth and Beth’s partner Karl, on November 19th last year, when the driver of a Porsche Boxster was travelling towards them in the wrong direction.

The Porsche crashed into the family, who were heading back to Wallasey, and burst into flames in what witnesses described as a ‘fireball’ as debris scattered across the carriageway.

Beth regained consciousness to see crowds gather around Faye’s body and it was at this moment she knew her baby girl was dead.

Beth told Lancs Live the next thing she remembered was waking up in the hospital to the agonising reality of Faye’s tragic death sinking in as her whole world was torn apart.

Beth and Karl both suffered serious injuries in the collision while the driver of the Porsche 79-year-old Terence Unsworth from Preston, died after his car burst into flames.

Beth said many people kept telling her she was lucky to be alive but that she ‘wished she’d died too’ so she didn’t have to live with the agonising heartbreak of having lost her daughter.

An inquest into Mr Unsworth’s death on Thursday, November 2nd, held at Preston Coroner’s Court, heard how the 79-year-old ‘unfathomably’ indicated to turn right before making a U-turn onto the opposite side of the motorway, driving in the wrong direction.

After colliding with Beth’s car, his Porsche was consumed by flames.

PC Rachel Carberry, of Lancashire Constabulary’s Collision Investigation unit, said when Mr Unsworth reached the end of the entry slip road and indicated right, he turned to face oncoming traffic and accelerated for nine seconds before he collided with Beth’s car.

“It was a clear and obvious turn in the wrong direction,” PC Carberry said.

The inquest heard it was impossible for Beth to have taken evasive action to avoid the collision as the officer added: “You wouldn’t expect to come across a vehicle travelling in the wrong direction.”

No faults or defects were found with either of the two vehicles and conditions were dry and well-lit.

Having watched the footage of Mr Unsworth joining the wrong side of the motorway, which was not played in court, Assistant Coroner Richard Taylor said: “He doesn’t meander. He stops and simply turns. It seems to be a deliberate action.”

A post mortem, conducted by Home Office pathologist, Dr Alison Armour found that Mr Unsworth had suffered acute-myocardial thrombosis, although she was unable to determine if this had happened before or after the collision.

Returning to the conclusion of the road traffic accident, Assistant Coroner Richard Taylor said: “I think the difficulty with instances such as these is that we would all like to understand Mr Unsworth’s decision-making but it seems that we will never be able to do that.

“I have seen the CCTV and there doesn’t seem to be anything unusual about his driving except for the decision, not only to indicate to turn right, but to perform a U-turn and proceed down the motorway the wrong way.”

Following the tragic collision, the family released a tribute which read: “Our beautiful Faye Grace, words will never express the heartache we are all going through since you were tragically taken from us.

“We can’t see the future without you, it has left a massive hole in our lives. Everyone says how precious their daughter/granddaughter is but you were an exception, you were such a clever little girl who was very funny and had us all laughing all the time.”

It continued: “You were so loving and caring and above all very loved by everyone who met you. You’re now at rest with your great nanny, great grandad and Uncle Jimmy.

“Words won’t justify how much we are all going to miss you and how much we all love you. Your mummy is being so brave and she will continue to make you proud.

“You were too little to be taken away from us, but we know the angels will look after you and they’re lucky to have you dancing in the sky with them.

“We are all so heartbroken that you were taken far too young but we are so glad that we got to have you for the time we did. RIP baby girl, we are all missing you and will carry on forever. All our love.”