Agony of father who lost twins and their mum in horror crash
A FATHER whose young twins died with their mother in a horrific crash on holiday has spoken of his enormous loss.
Chris Gaskin said his only comfort was that the 12-year-olds, who had come into the world together, had also left it together.
His ex-wife Jane Baker-Lockett and children James and Amy Gaskin were killed when their Kia Sportage collided with a Marks & Spencer lorry.
The tragedy in North Devon was witnessed by the twins’ stepfather Paul Lockett and their brother Jack, 14, Mrs Baker- Lockett’s other child with Mr Gaskin.
They were in a different car and saw the crash on the A361 near Barnstaple in their rearview mirror, it is understood.
Yesterday Mr Gaskin, 43, paid tribute to his twins, saying: ‘ They came into this world together and sadly they have gone together. It is an absolute tragedy and they were two fantastic kids who were inseparable. Our loss is just enormous.
‘It is hard to put into words what has happened, but I do know they have left behind a brother who adored them. ‘It is not the right words but the only positive thing out of this is that they have left this world together.’
Mr Gaskin from Luton, an engineer with Monarch Airlines, was last night comforting Jack. He said: ‘He is being so mature and I am in awe of him. Jack has lost his best friends in the world.’ The twins’ grandfather John Gaskin, 73, also of Luton, said his son Chris had played an active role in the children’s lives after divorcing their mother some years ago. He added: ‘They were just the greatest kids. We are all devastated.’ Mrs Baker-Lockett and her family, from Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, were heading towards Barnstaple on the twolane North Devon link road – condemned as unsafe by local politicians – when the crash happened on Monday morning. Police said that for unknown reasons the Kia crossed the centre lines and collided with an HGV coming the other way. Mrs Baker-Lockett, 43, and Amy died at the scene. James died in hospital. Mr Lockett, 42, was said by a family member to be ‘numb’ over the death of his wife and the children.
The crash came a day after another fatal collision a mile down the same road which killed a nine-year-old girl. Peter Heaton- Jones, the Conservative MP for North Devon, said money was needed to improve the design of the link road and make it safer.