A HEARTBROKEN family will gather tomorrow (Friday) for the funeral of a much loved grandmother who died after a crash between three cars.

Maureen Keenan, 77, was just 30 seconds from home when the car she was driving on St James Road in Rainhill was involved in the fatal collision.

She died after being taken to Whiston Hospital.

Her husband of 53 years, James, aged 78, a passenger in the Volvo S40, was also hurt.

Speaking to the Star, Maureen's daughter, Janet Tyrer, paid tribute to the former St Helens town centre medical practice receptionist.

She said: "Mum was a happy, friendly, outgoing person who loved people and most of all loved her family. She really was the epicentre of our family life.

"She had two children, myself and my sister Laura (Gregory) and four grandchildren who she loved deeply. She wanted to know everything they were doing and involved with, and in many ways that kept her young.

"The firemen who were called to the crash thought they were rescuing a woman of 65, she was very youthful for a lady of 77.

"She worked in St Helens for more than 20 years and so obviously a lot of people from the town knew her."

Mr Keenan, a retired Whiston Hospital biomedical engineer, was kept in hospital for treatment but is now recovering at the home of Mrs Tyrer's family in Warrington.

She added: "They had been taking the back route home and were so close. They were literally 30 seconds from home.

"It has been a horrendous situation. My parents should have been coming to stay with me for the Easter bank holiday but then I got a phone call asking me to come to Whiston Hospital as soon as possible.

"It is a phone call that you never want to receive."

She added: "We have been inundated with cards and flowers from people and that has been a wonderful source of strength for us. They were well known among the community at St Bartholemew's Church.

"We loved our mum deeply and she knew we loved her."

The tragedy happened at 1.50pm on Thursday, April 5.

A 21-year-old man from Dentons Green and a 20-year-old man from Rainhill were later arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving before being released on bail.

Mrs Keenan's funeral will take place on Friday, April 27 at St Bartholemew's Church, Rainhill, starting at noon. Family flowers only, (donations will be collected for St Helens & Knowsley Hospital Charitable Fund for the benefit of the A&E Department).