Tributes paid to third victim of Beaumaris collision

North Wales Chronicle

2 days ago

Humphrey Pickering was 81 years old and lived in Colwyn Bay.
His family described him as a 'much-loved husband, father, grand and great-grandfather, brother and uncle' and said he will be 'terribly missed by us all.'
They also extended their sympathies to the family of The Revered Stephen and Katherine Burch, who were killed after being struck by Mr Pickering's car in the incident on 28 August 2024.
The Revered Stephen and Katherine Burch (Image: North Wales Police) The family said: 'Humphrey Pickering was a lifelong learner who loved travel, learning new languages and experiencing new cultures.
'His career centred around libraries, learning, and bringing knowledge to communities throughout Europe and as far away as the South Pacific. He was a valued colleague, boss, friend, and mentor to many.
'In retirement he continued to serve his community through volunteering and was a member of rotary and town-twinning. He was also a keen gardener, tending his trees, flowers, and vegetables throughout the year.
'Our family want to thank the emergency services and members of the public who assisted at the scene, and to those who provided care and support to our mother, especially the staff at the Bulkley Hotel, who kept her safe until we were able to come to Beaumaris to be by her side."
(Image: North Wales Police) They added: 'We also want to thank those who have worked tirelessly since, to uncover the events of that day and provide an explanation of what happened on that fateful day. These answers will help us move forward in our grief and are a small step towards our family accepting this tragic accident and the devastating loss to both our family and the family of Revd Stephen and Katherine Burch.
'We extend our deepest and heartfelt sympathies to the Burch family, we are devastated for their loss, a loss that will always weigh heavily on us.
'We hope the outcome of the inquest will also help them in some small way.'
The inquest into the deaths of Mr Pickering, and Mr and Mrs Burch took place in Caernarfon on Thursday, August 7.
The road traffic collision occurred on Wednesday, August 28 2024. It involved Mr Pickering's grey coloured Audi A8, which collided with Mr and Mrs Burch as they walked along Alma Street, Beaumaris.
North West Wales senior coroner Kate Robertson concluded Mr Pickering had pressed his car's accelerator by mistake, before colliding with the couple.