A HEARTBROKEN boyfriend today spoke of his love for the woman who died in a crash as she drove to hospital to give birth to his child.

Jeanette McKenna, 33, of The Copse, Accrington, died after her car went out of control on Shadsworth Road, Blackburn, early on New Year's Eve.

Her family now believe that she was in labour at the time of the crash and had lost concentration during a contraction as she drove to Queen's Park Hospital.

Doctors lost their battle to save her unborn child.

Jeanette had celebrated Christmas with her long-term boyfriend and father of her children William Laughland, 34, of Belfield Road, Accrington. The couple enjoyed Christmas dinner together with their son Joshua before joining her family for further celebrations.

Next week Joshua will face his fifth birthday without the mother he adored.

William: "I had been with Jeanette for seven and a half years and I loved her.

"This has been terrible for all of us and we will all miss her.

"Joshua is the main thing now. She always said if anything ever happened to her I had to bring him up how she would have wanted and that we had to be happy.

"It is difficult now though because he doesn't really understand what has happened and none of this has really sunk in yet.

"But she gave me enough strength to feel that I can look after him and obviously all of her family will play a big part and ensure that is the case."

Sergeant Keith Jackson, of the road safety unit for the Eastern Division, said the police had ten witnesses yet to interview about the accident and that the investigation would continue for some time.

He said it was as yet unclear whether Jeanette was in labour at the time she crashed, but that all possibilities were being investigated.

He added: "We are keeping in contact with the family with the welfare side of things, and they will be the first to know about the investigation."