Five British children whose mother who was killed in a crash in northern France are being treated for serious injuries in hospitals across the region.
“Devoted” mother-of-ten Miriam Posen, 50, from Stamford Hill in north London, died when a minivan holding six other family members was involved in a three-way crash south of Lens on the A26 motorway around 6pm on Sunday.
A second vehicle contained four people, including a 75-year-old woman and a 45-year-old man, who also died. The third vehicle involved was a car with four passengers, including three children, aged between six and 33.
The Arras prosecutor’s office said five British children aged between seven and 19 were being treated for serious injuries in several hospitals, including two of Mrs Posen’s daughters, the Telegraph reports.
Three of her children had injuries that were not considered life-threatening.
Mrs Posen’s husband, Rabbi Shalom Pinchos Posen, 48, was also among the injured. The family is part of the Orthodox Jewish community in north London.
Mourners reportedly gathered outside the family home on Tuesday near Woodberry Wetlands Nature Reserve.
Witnesses of the crash will be questioned and the people carrier also extensively analysed to determine the cause of the crash, the prosecutor’s office told the Telegraph.
Mrs Posen was an ultra-Orthodox Jew who only spoke in Yiddish and observed a strict dress code, said the family spokesperson.
The accident took place on a section of the motorway where roadworks were taking place, between the towns of Neuville-Saint-Vaast and Thélus.
On Monday, Izzy Posen, the couple’s eldest son, wrote on social media: “My mother sadly passed away yesterday in tragic circumstances.
“She was young and healthy and full of the spirit of life. I loved her so much.”
A photo of Mr Posen with his mother was posted to his Instagram account in 2017 with the caption: “With my beautiful mother.”
A family spokesman said: “Miriam was a devoted mother who was loved so much by her family and friends.
“She was a very special person who will be greatly missed by all who knew her.
“We are still coming to terms with what has happened. It was only on Sunday night.”
The section of the A26 motorway was closed off until late into the night on Sunday, as six emergency medical teams attended the scene.
Around 60 firefighters were also scrambled to the crash site to try to rescue the victims.
The incident occurred at the height of the holiday season, when thousands of British drivers make their way across the Channel.
A UK Foreign Office spokesperson said: “We are in contact with the local authorities following a road traffic accident in France and have offered our assistance to the family.”
