A12 collision: family tribute to Jennifer Anne Tillett , 83

The family of an “extremely kind” woman who died following a serious collision in Chelmsford have paid tribute, saying she was “the heart” of the family.

We were called to the A12 on the London-bound carriageway between junction 17 and 16 shortly after 8pm on Tuesday, 3 January, following a collision involving three vehicles. The cars involved were a white Toyota Hiace van, a blue Vauxhall Zafira and a gold Ford Eco-Sport.

One of the passengers in the blue Zafira, an 83-year-old lady, sadly, late died in hospital on 25 January. The day the collision occurred, was her birthday.

Now, her family pay tribute to their “much-loved Mum, Nanna, sister, aunt and friend.

Jennifer Anne Tillett (née Alston) was born in Bicknacre on 3 January 1940, but she was known to everyone as Anne.

Anne’s family described her as “extremely kind, incredibly generous and really thoughtful”. 

Anne was known for her great “sense of humour” and her family and friends said she would be remembered as someone who “loved to laugh” with everyone.

Anne was, sadly, widowed eight years earlier after 53 years of happy marriage to husband Derek. Her children told how she “remained at the heart of our large family” in the following years but that now, Anne has been taken before her time.

All of her family and friends joined together to say we will always miss her, enormously.

If you have any information, CCTV, dash cam or other footage in relation to this incident, then please get in contact with us.

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Officers in our Serious Collision Investigation Unit continue to appeal to anyone who may have witnessed this collision and could assist with our enquiries to contact us.

Please quote incident 1137 of 3 January.