Hollyoaks star tribute to mum after M66 crash death
Frankie Hough, from Chadderton, was hit by another car when she was travelling on the M66 on May 13.
The collision happened southbound on the motorway between junction 3 for the Pilsworth Interchange in and junction 4 for Simister Island.
Frankie was travelling with her two sons, Tommy, nine, and Rocky, two, and her nephew, Tobias, four, who were all taken to hospital via air ambulance after the crash.
Frankie Hough was 38 when she died in the crash (Image: GoFundMe)
The 38-year-old, who played Jess Holt in the Channel 4 soap, died from her injuries two days later.
Tommy and Tobias were fighting for their lives in intensive care for weeks but have miraculously recovered and have returned home, the family said last week[1].
Tobias’ father, Aaron Welby, said the family was delighted with the boys’ progress, seeing them move from intensive care to the rehabilitation ward and finally, home.
He said: “We made it!
“We are over the moon to have our boys back.
“Our boys have defied the odds. We can all agree how lucky we are in this tragic incident to have all three boys back with us, demonstrating their strength and character.”
The three boys are on the road to recovery since the accident and have finally returned home from hospital (Image: John Welby)
The boys return just after Frankie and her unborn baby girl, Neeve, were laid to rest in a “colourful” funeral.
While tributes from friends and even strangers have been flooding in[2] since the devastating news hit, Frankie’s Hollyoaks co-star, Paul Danan, who plays Sol in the soap, has issued his own.
Describing her as a “special person” and a “good good friend”, Paul said he is “totally devastated” by her passing.
He wrote: “This wonderful actress played the character Jess alongside me for nearly four years in Hollyoaks.
“I adored her. I feel so lost right now.”
The actor is also encouraging people to donate to the family’s fundraiser, which has amassed more than £50,000 at the time of writing, to help Frankie’s family and her little boys who “will be slowly realising that their mummy isn’t alive anymore – just incomprehensible”, he said.
Paul added photographs of the pair together from some of their best scenes and storylines.
He added that it was “probably the best time of our lives”.
Donations can be made to Frankie’s fundraiser here[3].
On Monday, June 19, Adil Iqbal of Hope Street, Accrington, appeared before Manchester Minshull Street Court[4] where he pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving and one count of causing serious injury in relation to the injuries sustained by Tommy, full name Thomas Spencer.
The 22-year-old has also been charged with another count of causing serious injury by dangerous driving in relation to the injuries sustained by Frankie’s nephew, Tobias Welby.
The court is currently awaiting more medical evidence to support this count.
In a follow-up post, Paul wrote: “Frankie will never get to see her family again and her unborn child never even got a chance in life, let alone her two little gorgeous boys and nephew who won’t see their mum or aunty again.
“My heart and prayers go out to them.
“May we all come together and do what we can to help and support you.
“I am truly devastated and hurting more than you know, to only find this out yesterday, two weeks after it happened, I feel a bit hopeless but I know god will help you through it somehow and just maybe had a bigger plan.”
Paul added: “I also feel that the only way to move on is to forgive that man who obviously should not have been on the road.
“This just solidifies things for me about driving dangerously or fast especially when not in a good head space.
“Look at what can happen, it’s actually just too painful to even think about right now.”
References
- ^ miraculously recovered and have returned home, the family said last week (www.theoldhamtimes.co.uk)
- ^ tributes from friends and even strangers have been flooding in (www.theoldhamtimes.co.uk)
- ^ here (gofundme.com)
- ^ Adil Iqbal of Hope Street, Accrington, appeared before Manchester Minshull Street Court (www.theoldhamtimes.co.uk)