THE family of a mother-of-five who was killed on the A2 have made a moving appeal for information about the tragedy.

Julia White, 42, and her 18-year-old son Mark, were both passengers in a red Ford Escort which collided with a lorry on the A2 near Lydden on Friday, October 19, at 7.30pm.

Mrs White, from Ramsgate, died at the scene. Her 18-year-old son, Mark, suffered a dislocated hip. The driver of the Escort, a 22-year-old also from Ramsgate, is recovering at home.

One of Mrs White’s sons, David, 20, described her as a self-less mother who always put others first.

He said: "If she’d been given the choice she would have rather died than my brother or his friend. She was that sort of person.

"She was always bubbly, worked hard and always did everything for us."

Her former husband and father of her five children, Kevin, 45, said the accident had "ripped their world apart".

He said: "We want to find the person responsible for this terrible accident so we can come to some sort of conclusion, pick up the pieces and get on with our lives."

Mrs White was on her way to Canterbury to pick up a car on the night of the crash.

Soon after it happened her daughter Kirsty ,18, was told her twin brother, Mark, had been in an accident but was unaware their mother had been killed.

When the family arrived at Ashford’s William Harvey hospital they were told the devastating news which Mr White then had to break to his son Mark who was about to go down to the operating theatre.

Mrs White also left two other sons Dean, 21 and Scott, 14.

Police say it is unlikely the lorry driver would be unaware that they had been involved in a serious collision.

They believe the articulated lorry was travelling towards Canterbury and that its cab and trailer were the same colour.

PC Glen Braidwood from the serious crash investigation unit, said: "We particularly want to speak to the driver of a small red vehicle which passed the Ford Escort some minutes before the collision."

Witnesses, or anyone with information, is asked to call 01622 798535.