A man has been formally charged with murder after a woman tragically lost her life in a car crash on June 30. The collision occurred at approximately 6:05 pm on the B4696, between Brinkworth Road and Lydiard Plain, near Royal Wootton Bassett.
The crash involved two vehicles: an orange Peugeot 107 traveling southbound toward Royal Wootton Bassett and a black Vauxhall Astra heading northbound toward Cricklade. The female driver of the Peugeot, in her 70s, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Following thorough investigations by the Wiltshire Police Major Crime Investigation Team, 43-year-old Anthony Howells, who has no fixed address, has been charged with murder. Additional charges include dangerous driving, driving without insurance, failing to stop at the scene of a collision, and refusing to provide a specimen for analysis.
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Howells has been remanded in custody and is scheduled to appear at Swindon Magistrates Court on the morning of July 6.
Detective Chief Inspector Phil Walker expressed gratitude to the local community for their assistance and clarified earlier confusion regarding the vehicles' directions at the time of the crash. He confirmed the Peugeot was traveling southbound, while the Vauxhall was moving northbound.
Inspector Walker also reiterated an appeal for witnesses, particularly those with dash-cam footage from the Lydiard Plain area of the B4696, as well as Cricklade High Street and Purton High Street, on the date of the incident.
In closing, he extended sincere condolences to the victim’s family and friends, thanking them for their patience and dignity during the early stages of this investigation.