Boy, 12, sees mother and sister die

A boy of 12 is being comforted today after seeing a motorway crash in which his mother and sister died.

The youngster's father ran to the scene but could do nothing to save them. The accident happened as the father and son, travelling together in one car, were following the rest of the family back in another car to their south London home.

They saw the Peugeot in which the women were travelling hit a barrier and overturn on the southbound section of the M23 near Gatwick before being hit by another car.

The boy's mother, his 10-yearold sister and a woman friend of the family died instantly. A fourth woman travelling with them, believed to be a relative, is critically ill in hospital. The driver of the other car involved in the crash escaped with minor injuries.

It is thought the family may have become lost after taking a wrong turn off the M25 on Monday night.

Realising her mistake, the driver of the Peugeot is understood to have turned off at junction nine on the M23, the approach to Gatwick airport, but misjudged the slip road and hit the barrier, flipping the car back onto the motorway. The father told rescuers he saw a shower of sparks as the Peugeot overturned. He stopped his car and ran to the scene, where he found his wife and young daughter dead in the wreckage.

The boy was kept away from the crash scene as firefighters and paramedics battled to free his mother and sister.

One of the first rescuers at the scene said: "The father was absolutely distraught but made sure his son did not know they were dead. It would have been terrible for them to see."

A Surrey police spokesman said: "As yet we are unable to say what caused the collision and we are eager to speak to other drivers who may have information."