British Couple Killed In US Holiday Crash The pair from Suffolk are reported to have died after their rental van careered off the road and hit a tree in New Hampshire.

 

The pair from Suffolk are reported to have died after their rental van careered off the road and hit a tree in New Hampshire.

Paddy and Julyan Heazell had been married for 51 years. Pic: Archant

 

A British couple have been killed in a road crash while on a hiking holiday in the US.

Paddy Heazell, 77, and his wife Julyan, 74, from Snape, near Aldeburgh, Suffolk, died after their rental van careered off the road and hit a tree.

The couple, described as "prominent figures" in their local community, had been hiking in Mount Washington Valley in New Hampshire, New England, for the past three weeks.
They were reportedly travelling with Mr Heazell's brother and his wife.

Paddy Heazell was a passionate supporter of the RSPB. Pic: Archant

The two couples were returning to their hotel near Crawford Notch when the crash happened on Sunday afternoon.
Mr and Mrs Heazell were keen volunteers and worked at Aldeburgh Music, RSPB Minsmere and Suffolk Wildlife Trust.
Harry Young, general manager of Aldeburgh Music performance centre, said: "They were very prominent figures in the local community and helped hugely here. Paddy and Julyan have been around throughout pretty much all of our history."
He described the couple as "thoroughly decent people", adding: "They were really, really generous and kind and cultured people, who gave a huge amount of themselves to the local community through volunteering."
A spokesman for the RSPB said Mrs Heazell was an "inspiration".
"Her interest and passion for the natural world was an inspiration to those who met her. She was well known locally, also volunteering for the Suffolk Wildlife Trust, and will be sadly missed by all who knew her," he said.
The Foreign Office confirmed two British nationals had been killed and two had been taken to hospital and said it was providing consular assistance.