My pregnant Hollyoaks star partner & our unborn daughter were killed in horror car crash – my life is completely ruined
A MAN who lost his pregnant partner and unborn daughter in a horror crash has said his life is completely ruined.
Hollyoaks actress Frankie Jules-Hough, 38, was killed when Adil Iqbal, 22, drove his dad’s BMW 140i at 123mph before smashing into her on the M66.
Frankie’s partner Calvin Buckley, who was looking forward to becoming a dad for the first time, said the tragedy “shattered” his world.
He told LancsLive: “Two people lost their lives as a result of someone using their phone while driving, and to put it simply my life was destroyed.
“I lost my partner and the chance to become a father, but it has also affected many other people and the effects of this incident will stay with us for the rest of our lives.
“My life was completely shattered in a moment and now I’m trying to rebuild my life.”
The horror unfolded on May 13 when Frankie, who played Jess in Hollyoaks in 2000, had stopped on the hard shoulder with three kids in her car following a puncture.
Iqbal had undertaken a motorbike when he swerved and hit the central reservation in Bury, Greater Manchester.
The impact sent the BMW into a 92mph spin before colliding with Frankie’s Skoda Fabia.
Tragically, the mum was on the phone to her son’s dad saying she would be late when he heard a “blood curdling scream”.
Frankie, who was 17 weeks pregnant with a baby girl, later died in hospital from brain injuries along with her unborn child.
Her son, nine, and nephew, four, were left with serious brain injuries in the crash, while her two-year-old son was also treated in hospital.
The long-term outcomes of the older boy’s injuries are still unknown.
Iqbal was sentenced in July to 12 years in prison after he admitted two counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving and one count of causing death by dangerous driving.
His sentence has now been increased by three years after top judges ruled his original jail term was unduly lenient.
The appeal took place in October last year – on the day Frankie and Calvin’s daughter Neeve was due to be born.
Calving previously said: “Today should have been the proudest and happiest day of my life.
“Today I should be celebrating becoming a father for the first time with my partner Frankie Julia Hough to our daughter Neeve.
“Today is the day Neeve was due to be born and make her making her entrance into the world.
“Instead I am in court fighting for their justice.”
How the tragedy unfolded
Adil Iqbal, 22, had been filming himself driving at speeds of over 100mph moments before ploughing into Frankie.
The mum had stopped on the hard shoulder with three kids in the car following a puncture before Iqbal smashed into her in Bury, Greater Manchester.
The reckless driver had undertaken a motorbike before swerving and hitting the central reservation.
The impact sent the BMW into a 92mph spin before colliding with Frankie’s Skoda Fabia at around 3.10pm on May 13 last year.
The smash left Frankie’s son, nine, and nephew, four, with serious brain injuries.
Her two-year-old son was airlifted to hospital alongside the other three.
Frankie died later in hospital while her eldest son and nephew were left in induced comas in intensive care.
The mum had discovered she was 17 weeks pregnant with a baby girl just a week before her tragic death.
Iqbal, from Accrington, Lancashire, admitted two counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving and one count of causing death by dangerous driving of Frankie.
