'My partner died a hero saving our daughter's life'

When Chris Tuczemskyi reflects on the freak accident that killed his partner, he gives thanks that her final act was to save their daughter's life.

Rebecca Ableman, 30, was walking on a pavement in Willingham, Cambridgeshire, with Autumn, then two, when the unsecured crane hit her in the head, causing catastrophic brain injuries from which she died three weeks later.

But as the heavy machinery swung towards them, she was able to push the buggy containing Autumn clear, leaving her unharmed.

On Tuesday, lorry driver Kevin Miller, 71, was jailed at Peterborough Crown Court for 13 months after admitting causing death by careless or inconsiderate driving.

Tuczemskyi considers his partner a hero and is grateful for the maternal instinct that spared his family even more heartache.

"It was about a week later that one of the eyewitnesses reached out to me and said Becky had pushed Autumn out of the way just as it was happening," he said.

"So, it could have been a lot worse than it was. I am very thankful Autumn is still here, essentially thanks to her mum."

Ableman, who lived in the village, near St Ives, was hit by the loose grabber crane at about 11:15 BST on 22 September 2022, as it was transported on a lorry on the B1050.

She had been out walking with her daughter, who was in a pushchair, and had recently left a farm shop on Station Road when she was struck from behind.

Ableman, who worked with patients with mental health problems at Fulbourn Hospital, was taken to Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, but died on 16 October 2022.

Tuczemskyi, who was out of the country at the time of the incident, said her death had taken its toll on the family and anticipated it would affect Autumn for years to come.

"Children grieve again and again and again as they gain a better understanding of the world, and she will notice differences with our family compared to her friends," he said.

"She does have a lot of questions, and she does get upset at times, which is hard to deal with, but she is a happy child, and she is so strong mentally.

"She is a source of strength for me and has really helped me get through the worst of times. My main goal is to make sure she grows up a happy, healthy child."

Miller, of Gayton Road, King's Lynn, Norfolk, had been transporting scrap metal from King's Lynn docks to two Network Rail depots in Essex and Cambridgeshire.

The loose crane equipment had moved from its position and was hanging over the edge of the trailer by the time he passed through Willingham.

After the collision, Miller drove off, later claiming to police officers during his arrest that he did not know there had been an incident.

Telling officers that he would have stopped if he had known, he is reported to have said: "What's happened, mate? I ain't hit no-one."

He was subsequently charged with causing death by dangerous driving, for which he briefly stood trial in April 2025 after pleading not guilty.

Proceedings, however, were halted, before he admitted causing death by careless or inconsiderate driving in February.

"It feels like our lives have been on hold for the past three and a half years because it has been very stop-start," said Tuczemskyi.

"There's certainly a sense of relief that it is finally over. Hopefully, we can finally move forward and rebuild our lives."

During the initial trial, the court heard that Ableman's death could have been avoided had the crane equipment been secured properly.

Keith Silvester, technical manager at ALLMI, the trade association for the lorry loader industry, said "the incident would not have occurred" had Miller "secured the log grapple in a central position using a ratchet strap".

Tuczemskyi is now working with ALLMI, in a bid to prevent similar incidents in the future.

"Before all this happened, I just thought health and safety was paramount to any HGV driver and I never thought something like this could ever happen," he said.

"If anything positive is going to come out of this, it is really to make sure businesses are making sure employees are securing equipment and doing the necessary checks.

"Hopefully we can help ALLMI out and make sure something like this does not happen again."

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