76-year-old accused of mowing down and killing woman in Preston

Charles Edwards is charged with causing Angela Booth’s death by dangerous driving in a horror smash outside a Preston supermarket in May last year.

The 76-year-old of Up Holland Road, Billinge, had originally been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after an early morning collision, and when the casualty died several weeks later, he was re-arrested for murder.

But having first been bailed and then been under investigation for a total 15 months, Edwards has now been told that the police, after consultation with the Crown Prosecution Service, that they will not be charging him with murder.

Police were called shortly before 6.25am on Friday May 24 last year by the North West Ambulance Service to the report of a collision between a woman pedestrian and a Peugeot Elddis motorhome in the car park of the Morrisons supermarket on Blackpool Road, Preston.

Ms Booth, who was 39 and from Preston, was taken to Royal Preston Hospital with what were described as “significant injuries.”

She was transferred to Wythenshawe Hospital in Manchester where, sadly, she died on Friday June 14.

A Home Office post-mortem examination revealed the cause of death as multiple injuries.

In a tribute, Ms Booth’s daughter and wider family said: “My mum was such a beautiful young soul. She’ll be loved and missed forever.”

Lancashire Constabulary today confirmed that Edwards had been summonsed to appear before Preston magistrates on Thursday September 10.