The husband of a young mummy blogger has woken up to the news that his wife and three of their children have died.
Zoe Powell, 29, who was driving, daughters Phoebe and Amelia, eight and four, and six-year-old son Simeon were all killed in a crash on Monday night.
The Powells, including husband and father Josh, 30, and their one-year-old daughter, were travelling on the A40 when their Subaru people carrier was in collision with a heavy goods vehicle near Oxford.
Thames Valley Police said Mr Powell and his youngest daughter were still in a ‘serious’ condition in hospital, but that they ‘are showing signs of improvement and are expected to make a recovery’.
Friends of the family have confirmed Mr Powell has been told about the tragic deaths of his wife of ten years, and three of his children.
Zoe Powell, who died in the crash, with Phoebe, eight, Simeon, six, Amelia, four, and Joshua.
Zoe Powell, 29, with her daughter Phoebe, eight, smile for the camera in a poignant picture
A source at their local church in Chinnor told The Sun: ‘Josh is aware of the circumstances, the really tragic situation, and he is devastated but he’s got a young baby to look after and he will hopefully pick up for this new life.
‘He will try to stay strong.
‘They are a very faithful Christian family and their faith will help and we will all rally round.’
The Powell family had moved to Chinnor in Oxfordshire in 2015 and had been renting a semi-detached house in a quiet cul-de-sac until a fire ravaged the property in June.
Although they escaped the blaze unscathed, the couple and their four children were forced to move and were re-homed in several temporary properties in West Wycombe in Buckinghamshire and the villages of Henton and Moreton in Oxfordshire.
At the end of August the family were moved back to Chinnor into an end terrace home, where they had been living happily until the crash.
Neighbours had seen the family leave the home last Friday morning but did not see them return.
They are thought to have spent the weekend at relatives in Gloucestershire. The children all went to St Andrew’s CofE School in Chinnor which had an inset day on Friday.
A neighbour, who lived across the street, said: ‘I used to see Zoe walk the children to school every morning and pick them up again in the afternoon.
‘But on Friday I noticed the whole family getting into a people carrier. The children were not in school uniform so it looked as though they were heading off somewhere for a couple of days.
The house that the Powell family were temporarily renting after a devastating fire at their £320,000 home in Chinnor months before the crash
Emergency services rushed to the scene at 9.50pm on Monday to reports of the crash, which took place near a railway overbridge. Pictured: The child victims
‘They never came home. When we saw them named in the media as being the victims of the A40 crash, my heart sank.
‘They were a very close family and despite the setbacks they’d had recently with the fire at their last home, they seemed really happy and positive.
‘It’s such awful news. Zoe and Josh and the kids were really well liked, they had a lot of friends around here despite only living here since the end of summer.’
Zoe is said to have been a part-time bible studies teacher working from home. The family were members of the Chinnor Community Church and would attend every Sunday.
Due to the Covid-outbreak Josh and Zoe had more recently joined other parishioners in attending online church services broadcast via Zoom.
The couple are understood to have joined in last Sunday’s sermon which they watched from a family member’s home near Cheltenham.
Fellow parishioners Peter and Christine Brown laid flowers in tribute by a wooden cross outside the church this afternoon.
Peter said: ‘They were such a nice family, you couldn’t ask for better people.
‘They were both really involved with the church and took their faith seriously.
‘Zoe used to teach the bible to teenagers from her home part time.
‘Their children were angels as well. I had a particular soft spot for the young lad, Simeon.
‘ I always used to call him sunshine because he was always smiling and so like a little ray of sunshine.
‘He’d always give me a ticking off, though, when I did call him that and say “my name isn’t sunshine, it’s Simeon.”
‘But the family were liked and respected across Chinnor not just the church. We’ll miss Zoe, Phoebe, Amelia and Simeon so much and we’ll of course be there for Josh and the baby when hopefully they recover.’
Over 1,500 people have already donated to a fundraising page set up following the harrowing family tragedy raising more than £50,000.
The fundraising page, set up by Andrew Welsford, reads: ‘This is such a sad and tragic loss for a work colleague on the railway, whose family have been taken from him in a tragic car crash near Oxford.’
The Powell family home was still boarded up today with smoke and fire damage still visible
A teddy bear left among floral tributes for the family outside Chinnor Community Church, where they were regular members of the congregation
Referencing railway workers’ distinctive orange uniform, it added: ‘Many people in the world of the Orange Army will know Josh and I hope will contribute to give him some financial support when he needs later in recovery.’
Grieving friends, neighbours and colleagues described the Powells as ‘delightful’.
The tragedy came months after the family were forced into temporary accommodation when a fire broke out at their home in Chinnor, South Oxfordshire.
A statement from Chinnor Community Church, where the family were regular members of the congregation, said: ‘They have been active, involved and much-loved members of Chinnor Community Church throughout their young lives.
‘The news of the death of Zoe, Phoebe, Simeon and Amelia has shocked and saddened not just their church family here but also the whole community of Chinnor in which they were known and greatly loved.
‘The family placed their belief in Jesus as Lord and Saviour, and we are confident that Zoe and the children are now safe in the arms of God.
‘Our thoughts are with the family as we pray for healing and recovery for Josh and his daughter.’
Police said they received multiple calls from members of the public at 9.50pm on Monday following the crash.
The HGV driver, a 56-year-old man, suffered minor injuries and has co-operated fully with the investigation, officers said.
Her husband Joshua, 30, and their 18-month-old daughter were rescued from the wreckage and are today fighting for their lives at John Radcliffe Hospital in the city
There have been no arrests, and detectives have requested witnesses or those with dash-cam footage to contact them.
Senior investigating officer Sergeant Dominic Mahon, of the Serious Collision Investigation Unit based at Bicester, said: ‘We are able to update on the condition of the two other injured people, a 30-year-old man and an 18-month old girl.
‘Although their conditions are still serious, they are showing signs of improvement and are expected to make a recovery.’
Sgt Mahon said the lorry driver had ‘co-operated fully,’ with police and had written a witness statement.
It emerged yesterday the devoted family had faced anguish months earlier after their home burned down, destroying many of their possessions.
Mr and Mrs Powell had rushed their four young children out of their home, wearing nothing but their pyjamas during lockdown after a blaze engulfed all the rooms in the house.
Pictured are the floral tributes outside the Community Church in High Street Chinnor today
Emergency services rushed to the scene at 9.50pm to reports of the crash, which took place near to a railway overbridge to the west of Oxford.
Neighbour and fellow young mother, Alice Palmer, said today: ‘It was only a few months ago that their house burned down, everything has gone, all of their memories were taken. It was an electrical fire, essentially they got out in their pyjamas and not much else, but they were planning to move back in.
‘Josh is now potentially going to wake up with his young daughter to care for and no possessions or memories. I just cannot comprehend it, they were so religious, part of the community and the church. I have been crying all morning.’
Neighbour Brenda Newell, who lived opposite the family’s home, said: ‘The fire was during lockdown this year, I was just off to work at the time. It looked like it ripped the whole house apart, but I went to work early that morning at a care home in Thame.
‘I don’t think it was arson, it was an accident I believe, you don’t get any trouble like that down here. I used to say hello to the family in passing, they seemed like a lovely family, the kids were quiet. It’s just one of those things, it’s devastating.’
Talented illustrator Mrs Powell – a regular churchgoer – had managed to save some treasured belongings which they had put in their temporary accommodation.
Their home had been particularly important to them as their most recent child had been born there.
Friends today said the Powell family has suffered ‘tragedy after tragedy’ after they were forced to move away from their home in Chinnor following a devastating house fire a few months ago. Pictured: Tributes in Chinnor today
Mrs Powell, who had been married for ten years, had told followers of the art and cards business she ran alongside her parent’s blog : ‘It’s the littlest things that make a house feel somewhere familiar and ‘yours’.
‘I rescued this butterfly from our study (the door was closed and its largely unaffected by fire/ smoke- unlike the rest of the house).’
The couple had also regularly given to charity and their joint Skylark and Hare company had donated money to good causes every year.
Almost a year ago Mrs Powell had said: ‘There is so much brokenness in this world, so many who we know or know of who are struggling in one way or another but it’s a reminder that this isn’t our true home.
‘And while we walk the darkest paths he is always there beside us and we will dwell in the house of the Lord forever, in our forever home. Psalm 23 is the first long chunk of scripture I memorised and it really has been so pertinent in so many ways and so many times in my life. If you’re walking through something I hope it’s a comfort for you .’