Rita Connors was left critically injured in the collision on the A228 near Tonbridge, Kent, at around 6:30 PM last Wednesday. Francie Connors and their young daughter Ka both died in the crash, which also involved a white DAF tipper truck. Police have confirmed that Rita has also died from her injuries. The family had been traveling together in the cart at the time of the crash.
Francie and the pony both died at the scene, while Rita and Ka were rushed to hospital where they both later died. A young girl and a man in his 30s have died following a crash involving a tipper truck and a pony on a busy road. The collision occurred in East Peckham near Tonbridge on Wednesday, 1 April, on the A228 Boyle Way, between the junctions of Branbridges Road and Hale Street. A white DAF tipper truck was traveling along the southbound carriageway when it collided with a pony and trap heading in the same direction. The pony died at the scene.
Emergency services, including South East Coast Ambulance Service and Kent Fire and Rescue Service, rushed to the scene. A man in his 30s, who had been riding in the trap, was pronounced dead at the scene. A woman and young girl who had also been traveling in the trap were rushed to hospital, where the young girl was pronounced dead. The woman remained in critical condition.
The family had been traveling together in the cart at the time of the crash.
The tipper truck driver, a 29-year-old man from Kent, was arrested in connection with the incident and taken into custody. Kent Police are appealing for witnesses and dashcam footage to help establish the full circumstances of the tragedy.
What caused the collision between the tipper truck and the pony and trap remains unclear. The exact condition and charges against the arrested tipper truck driver have not been disclosed.
Whether there were any other vehicles or factors involved in the crash is also under scrutiny. The specific injuries sustained by Rita Connors and Ka that led to their deaths have not been detailed publicly.
Social media tributes have poured in for the Connors family, with one woman expressing shock and sympathy for their three surviving boys. Another person emphasized the rarity and tragedy of the event.
Road safety concerns have been raised, with calls for increased vigilance around rural and shared roadways where pony and traps may be present. The community impact is profound, as East Peckham and surrounding areas grapple with the loss of a local family.
Kent Police are urging witnesses or anyone who saw the truck or pony and trap prior to the collision to contact the appeal line or submit dashcam footage.