The family of a Cambridgeshire couple who died in a head-on collision in 2022 have reacted to a dangerous driving verdict handed down in court week.

Photo shows: Tony and Susie Wilson (centre) with their family.

Speaking via the family’s lawyer, Katrina Elsey , the couple’s son Tony Wilson said the court’s decision had gone “some way” towards giving the family closure, but that “it doesn’t alter the fact that this man’s driving wiped out a generation of our family.”

A 35-year-old man from Rowley Regis in the West Midlands appeared at trial at Cambridge Crown Court accused of dangerous driving. The trial followed a collision on the A1307 on 23 July 2022, in which 80-year-old husband and wife Tony Wilson and Susie Wilson were killed.

Tony and Susie were driving home from a supermarket trip when a BMW M3 travelling on the wrong side of the road collided with their Fiat Panda. The incident occurred on a single carriageway road at Lolworth, shortly after 3pm. Police, air ambulance, fire engine and road ambulance attended, but both Tony and Susie died at the scene as a result of their injuries.

Following a four-day trial this week, the defendant was convicted of dangerous driving. He faces a mandatory 12-month driving ban and is remanded in custody until 30 October 2024, when he will return to court for sentencing.  

Rosie Dodds , associate solicitor in our personal injury team acted for the family in the civil claim.

Tony and Susie’s daughter-in-law, Fiona Wilson, and granddaughters Anna Winspear and Leah Sweeting attended the trial. Their legal representative, Katrina Elsey, senior associate, read out the following statement from Tony and Susie’s son, Tony Wilson, following the verdict:

“We had hoped this trial would bring some measure of closure as we sought justice for the tragic loss of our much-loved parents, grandparents and great granny and grandad. The court’s decision today has gone some way towards giving us this, but it doesn’t alter the fact that this man’s driving wiped out a generation of our family.

“The impact of losing both parents, out of the blue, has been immense. Two years on, and there is not a day goes by when I don’t think of them or reach for the phone to call them. There was still so much to say that can now never be said, and we will forever mourn their loss.”

Katrina added: “It has been an incredibly difficult time for Tony and Susie’s family. This trial serves as a stark reminder of the dangers that road traffic accidents pose to us all. Their hope is that the trial will raise awareness about the importance of road safety so that no other family has to endure the heartache they continue to face.”

For more information or to speak to Katrina Elsey, call us on 0800 138 0458  or email help@switalskis.com.