Family pay tribute to 'amazing and beautiful' teenager who died after Westbury crash
The family of a teenager who died in a car crash in Westbury says "life will never be the same without her".
Bethany Michelle Ovenden-Gumm died after a silver Ford Fiesta with four people inside lost control and crashed into a garden wall on Friday 5 February. The three other teenagers in the car were treated for their injuries in hospital.
The 18-year-old's family have shared a tribute to their "amazing and beautiful" daughter, who loved "dancing, funky make up, social media and having a laugh with her family and friends."
The teenager was born in Bath but grew up in up in the Wiltshire town attending Westbury Leigh School and Kingdown Secondary School before studying childcare at Trowbridge College.
The 18-year-old leaves behind her mother Tracie, her father Ben, stepmother Dawny and siblings Charlie, Tom, Cam, JJ, Imogen, Paige, Louis and Grace.
In a statement, her family said: “What can we say about Bethany? All parents will say their children were amazing and beautiful, and that their loss is the hardest thing to ever have to face. But Beth was truly amazing, gorgeous and so talented.“Our Beth had the most beautiful smile that lit up any room. She was the life and soul of the party, with a big heart and kind soul. Outgoing and caring, her amazing self-taught beauty and hair techniques were perfection and her eyebrows on point.“She had the world in her hands. She was and will always be a free spirit. She had a way about her that touched so many hearts. Be it her smile, her laugh or just the way she was.“She was honestly so perfect. She was so strong-minded, so powerful with her confidence and her bright colours will stay with us forever.“She had a loudness about her and was just the sweetest thing. We couldn’t have had it any better. She lifted everyone's mood when they were down, she just had that about her and we will always try and keep what she had.“She has left a massive hole in our hearts. Life will never be the same without her in it.“She was truly loved by all. Fly high, our beautiful butterfly.”
Bethany's family have thanked those who were first at the scene of the collision and the emergency services, for all they did to try and help her.
The have also thanked everyone who has sent kind thoughts and messages, and say they have collected a number of tributes, cards and notes left at the scene to protect them from the wet weather.
At the time of the accident Wiltshire Police said: "A local 18-year-old woman, who was a passenger, was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver, a 19-year-old man, was seriously injured and taken to Southmead Hospital where he remains at this time.
"The two remaining passengers sustained significant injuries and one, an 18-year-old woman, was taken to Southmead while the other, a 17-year-old girl, was taken to Royal United Hospitals in Bath."
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