John Selway, who lost his life in the accident, with wife Claire and daughter BethanyA HEAD-ON collision near Melksham on Friday left three people dead, two children orphaned and another without a father.

John Selway, 33, from Steeple Ashton, died at the Royal United Hospital in Bath shortly after the accident, which happened between Seend Fork and Caen Hill, Devizes, at 7.30pm.

Also killed in the crash were husband and wife, Graham and Nicola Smith, from Potterne, who were both pronounced dead at the scene.

Mr Selway was married to Claire, 35, for eight years and they had a three-year-old daughter, Bethany.

Mrs Selway said: "I'm just devastated, I'm doing things on automatic pilot because they need to be done. It's little things that get to you, like I'm still making two cups of tea in the morning."

On the evening of the accident Mr Selway, who worked for Ringway Parkman near Devizes, had phoned his wife to say he was just leaving work and apologised for being late.

When he didn't return home she began to worry and called a friend to babysit while she went to look for him.

She found out what had happened when she came across a police roadblock at the site of the accident.

She said: "It was such a shock. When someone says they are going to be home in half an hour and then they don't come home it is devastating."

Her husband's Vauxhall Vectra had been involved in a collision with the Smith family's Vauxhall Astra, which was travelling in the opposite direction.

Mr and Mrs Smith's 13-year-old son, Sam, was in the back of the car and suffered serious arm injuries in the accident.

The couple both worked at Cross Engineering in Devizes and also had a 10-year-old daughter, Lucy.

They were teenage sweethearts who had been married for nearly 20 years and were devoted to each other and their children.

Mrs Smith's father, Marlborough postman John Fell, said: "They used to do everything as a family, that is the tragedy of it.

"It is almost fitting that they died together."

After the accident both families of those who died in the crash had to face the terrible task of telling the children what had happened.

Mrs Selway said: "I have told Bethany that daddy died in a car crash and we have been to the site and laid some flowers.

"I have told her that his kindness and sense of humour is in heaven and his body is all that remains.

"When he worked late she would always phone him and he would always say to me 'give her a kiss from me' and now I give her a goodnight kiss and she blows a kiss to heaven for daddy."

Police are still investigating the cause of the crash and are appealing for any witnesses to contact Salisbury Traffic Police on (01380) 735004.