Tributes to war veteran, 96, killed in car accident
A D-Day veteran has been named as one of two pensioners to have died in a crash on the A697 in Northumberland.
A blue Dacia Duster and a grey Wall Steed pick-up were in collision close to New Moor House crossroads near Edlingham at around 3pm on Friday.
Police said Pearl Smith, 96, of Wooler, and James Johnston, 96, of Amble, died at the scene.
Mr Johnston was a D-Day veteran who was a pathfinder for the Normandy landings on June 6, 1944.
Mr Johnston was born near Berwick and joined the army at the age of 14 as a boy piper with the Cameron Highlanders. He volunteered to be a paratrooper and jumped on D-Day as a pathfinder with the 6th Airborne/ 22nd Ind Para Company. He left the army in 1959 and became a police officer with the Ministry of Defence.
Mr Johnston had a passion for running marathons, representing Britain at the Veteran World Games.
His daughter Barbara Bugg, who now lives in the USA, said: “My father was a force to be reckoned with and this is truly a dreadful way for him to have left us.”
Mr Johnston leaves behind a 100-year-old sister, one daughter Barbara, son-in-law Robert, grandchildren Christopher and Rebecca and great-grandson Oisin.
The 34-year-old woman driver of the Dacia and a 61-year-old woman passenger were both taken to hospital with serious but non-life threatening injuries. The 19-year-old man driving the pick-up and a 21-year-old passenger were also airlifted to hospital. The driver has now been discharged but the front seat passenger remains in a critical but stable condition.