65th wedding anniversary tragedy for Fence couple in car smash horror

A LOVING couple’s 65th wedding anniversary turned to tragedy when an elderly woman was killed and her husband seriously hurt in a head-on car crash.

Mrs Norah Graham and her husband Stewart, both 85, were travelling in their Vauxhall Astra on Wednesday afternoon when it collided with another car on the Padiham by-pass, near the Bay Horse pub, Fence.

The couple, who lived in Fence, often went out for lunch according to neighbours.

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Their daughter Eileen De-Maine, of Accrington, said: “My mum and dad were married in 1946 and Wednesday was their 65th wedding anniversary. I am so saddened for our loss but I know mum has gone to a better place. She worked at Foxhall Bank, Oswaldtwistle Co-op, R.G. Smiths and at Accrington Victoria Hospital. My mum loved baking and feeding the birds. She was a church-goer at St Philip’s near where she lived.

“Mum and dad used to watch cricket at Accrington. She leaves behind my dad, her brother, my brother, her daughter-in-law and myself, as well as two grandchildren and two great grandchildren.”

The accident happened around 1-35 p.m. when the couple’s grey Astra was being driven along Barrowford Road, in the direction of Colne, when it collided with a red Vauxhall Astra on the opposite side of the road.

The 52-year-old woman driver of the red Astra, from Burnley, and a passenger were taken to hospital with whiplash but have since been discharged.

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Sgt Malcolm Bell said: “This is an incredibly tragic incident and a full investigation into the cause of the collision is now underway. I would appeal to anybody who witnessed it to contact police.”

Anybody with information is asked to contact police on 08451 25 35 45 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

There’s more on this tragic story, with tributes to the couple, in tomorrow’s newspaper.

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