Devastated family pay tribute to Rothwell man and his grandparents killed in crash

Stuart Ratcliffe, 40, and his grandparents, Fred, 98, and his wife Jean, 90, who were both from Northampton, were pronounced dead at the scene

The family of a Rothwell man and his grandparents who died in a crash on the A43 say they are totally devastated by their deaths.

Stuart Ratcliffe, 40, and his grandparents, Fred, 98, and his wife Jean, 90, who were both from Northampton, were pronounced dead at the scene between Hannington and Sywell on Tuesday (February 18).

All three were in a red Vauxhall Corsa which collided head-on with the Volvo lorry close to Sywell Range just after 2pm.

Stuart was a loving husband and father, who leaves behind Lisa and their two boys, Tristan and Finley.

The mother of Stuart and daughter of Fred and Jean, Diane Bates, said on behalf of the family: “We are just totally devastated at losing Stuart and my parents, and words cannot describe the loss and sorrow we are feeling.

“This will leave a massive hole in our hearts for the rest of our lives and we are all going to truly miss Stuart and my parents.

"It’s not until now, with all the messages we have received, that you realise just how much they were all loved by so many people.”

Together the family pay tribute to their loved ones, saying: “In loving memory of Jean and Fred Pritchard and Stuart Ratcliffe. God bless them and rest in peace.”

Fire crews from Mereway, Moulton and The Mounts were at the scene and the road between Northampton and Kettering was closed for six hours while emergency services dealt with the incident.

Northants Serious Collision Investigation Unit are trying to find out what happened and issued an appeal for witnesses or anyone who may have dashcam footage of the crash to call the Drivewatch Hotline on 0800 174615 or Northamptonshire Police on 101 quoting reference number 234 of 18/02/20.