A 33-year-old father, Stephen Jones of Bootle, died on Jan. 3 from injuries sustained in a collision on Christmas Eve, Merseyside Police said. The family had been returning from the cinema when the crash occurred.
The collision happened shortly before 8:40 p.m. on Dec. 24 at the junction of East Lancashire and Stonebridge Lane in Croxteth, Liverpool. Jones was driving a black Ford Puma that struck a grey Audi A4, police said. He was taken to hospital with serious injuries and later died on Saturday, Jan. 3.
Jones’s 34-year-old partner remains in serious but stable condition, and their eight-year-old son suffered minor injuries and is in the care of relatives.
Officers arrested the Audi driver, a 32-year-old man from Liverpool, at the scene. He is being investigated on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving, causing serious injury by dangerous driving, and driving while impaired by drugs or alcohol; he remains on bail while inquiries continue. Authorities stressed that the investigation is ongoing.
Detective Sergeant Simon Duffy said the force will support the family and pursue all lines of enquiry. He urged people who were travelling in the area at the time — and anyone with dashcam or eyewitness footage — to contact Merseyside Police, saying that those accounts are “key to the investigation.”
“Our thoughts remain with Stephen’s family at this tragic time,” the force said in a statement.
Merseyside Police published a family tribute describing Jones as a devoted father, an Everton supporter and a grassroots football coach who made a positive difference in many young lives. “Stephen was a loving son, brother, partner, uncle but most importantly a dad,” the family said. “He will be missed deeply but loved forever and always in our hearts.”
