A40 crash: Inquest opens in crash death family case

An inquest into the deaths of a mother and her three children who died in a crash has been opened.

Zoe Powell, 29, died with Phoebe, eight, when their people carrier collided with a lorry in Oxfordshire.

Simeon, six, and four-year old Amelia, died in hospital. Their father Josh and 18-month-old sister Penny survived with injuries.

Speaking at at Oxford Coroner's Court, Oxfordshire coroner Darren Salter called it a "tragic case" .

He said Mrs Powell and her daughter Phoebe died of "multiple injuries".

Simeon's cause of death was "traumatic brain injury", and Amelia's was a "severe head injury".

The inquest was opened and adjourned until 23 March.

The crash happened on the A40, near a railway bridge between Oxford and Cassington on 12 October.

In a tribute to his family released last month, Mr Powell said he felt an "abundance of loss".

He added: "As I look to an uncertain future, I reflect on the fun that we had as a family, with feelings of sadness that it was cut so short.

"Before the adventure of starting a family nobody truly knows what to expect.

"All of life's preconceptions and what we see in the world around us meant that life as a family man was so much better than I expected it to be.

"I had been blessed with four wonderful children, whose thirst for life and hunger of adventure kept me busy but in the best possible way."

Mr and Mrs Powell married a few months after leaving school, and both went to Sheffield University.

Mrs Powell was a blogger who wrote about motherhood, family life and the challenges of having young children.

The deaths came just months after the family lost everything in a blaze at their home.

A JustGiving page set up by a railway worker colleague of Mr Powell has raised more than £150,000.

The 56-year-old driver of the lorry involved in the crash suffered minor injuries, and no arrests were made.