Mother and twins, 12, die in Barnstaple car crash as husband witnesses from car ahead

A mother and her 12-year-old twin children have died in a crash witnessed by her husband and older son who were travelling in the car in front.

The woman and her children, a boy and a girl, were killed when their car collided with a lorry travelling in the opposite direction on the A361 in Barnstaple at around 8.30am on Monday.

The 12-year-old girl was pronounced dead on arrival at North Devon District Hospital. Her brother was taken to hospital by air ambulance but also died a short while later, police said.

The mother, 43, died at the scene.

The family are understood to have been holidaying in Devon and the woman’s husband – the twins’ stepfather – and her other son, 14, were travelling in the car ahead.

A spokesman for Devon and Cornwall Police said the mother and children were from the Milton Keynes area and had been travelling in a separate vehicle to her husband and 14-year-old son.

The spokesman said the husband’s car was not "directly involved" in the collision.

It is understood the biological father of the children has been informed of their deaths.

Police are still investigating the cause of the collision.

(c) Sky News 2017: Mother and twins, 12, die in Barnstaple car crash as husband witnesses from car ahead