TESTIMONIALS have flooded in for a 19-year-old rugby player who passed away in a terrible vehicle accident.
In Somerset, Beth Branson was a member of the women’s squad at Bridgewater and Albion RFC, who recently announced her passing.
She was apparently killed last night on the A38 in a collision involving four vehicles.
She reportedly was a passenger in one of the cars and passed away there.
Three additional people suffered minor wounds, and one of them was later released from the hospital and allowed to recover at home. Two men, 35 and 28, have been detained on suspicion of causing a death by reckless driving, according to Avon and Somerset Police.
This person was also detained on suspicion of withholding a specimen.
The charges against Luke Hawkes, 29, of Wadham Close, Bridgwater, including causing death by hazardous driving and failing to submit a breath sample.
Hawkes appeared yesterday before Taunton Magistrates’ Court (Thursday 10 November).
He has been placed back in jail and will make his next court appearance on Friday, December 9 at Taunton Crown Court.
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A second man, who was detained after the event, has been freed while the matter is being looked into.
Tributes for the late Beth Branson.
The club expressed its condolences to the young athlete’s family and friends in a touching statement that was shared on Facebook, saying that she had been “taken far too early.”
The statement read:
“It is with shock and great sadness that we have learned of the death of Beth Branson.
“Beth has been a member of our Women’s team for many years and graduated through our girls and youth sections.
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“She has been taken far too early at the age of 19 and the situation teaches us how unjust some situations are.”
Albion’s Director of Rugby, Geoff Sluman, added his tribute to the club statement.
He said:
“This is such incredibly sad news, I would regularly see Beth at the Women’s games, at Women’s training, and generally in and around the clubhouse.
“She was always a lovely person and [a] great team member and club person. “
“She always walked around the place with a smile on her face even when, or I should say especially when, she was active on the rugby pitch with her teammates.”
He continued by saying that while many of Beth’s teammates wanted to honor her, the pain was still too “raw” for them to do so.
Sophie Phillips, the women’s team’s player-coach, said: “Beth was a great player and a great friend to all at the club, whose bubbly personality rubbed off on everyone and would light up any room.
“I would like to extend our condolences as a team to Beth’s family and friends.”
Bethany’s parents, Amy and Ben, said:
“Today our hearts have been torn in two. Our beautiful, brave, and unbelievably special baby girl, Bethany, has been taken from us.
“She will always be so cherished and loved in our hearts and we know that she was loved by so many around her.
“Today, the world suddenly seems a much, much sadder place.”