Ray and Debs Coote and their youngest child, 13-year-old Emily, were returning home from Sainsbury’s in Haverhill on Saturday afternoon, July 19, when their VW Golf collided with a Peugeot 806 near the entrance to Horse-heath racecourse.

The crash left David Bocking, 43, from Halstead and his sons Daniel, 14 and Stephen 13, dead, and two other passsengers in the Peugeot, a 39-year-old woman and nine-year-old girl in a critical condition.

Mr and Mrs Coote and Emily were going to Spain the following Monday, and had been shopping for their sons, John, 19 and James 17, who were staying behind at their family home in The Grove, Linton.

The crash left Emily with a broken collarbone but her 60-year-old father, who remained in a coma for six days, suffered tears in his bowel and liver, had his appendix removed and has a smashed kneecap, which is now wired up and twisted at a 90 degree angle, and broken bone fragments in his shoulder.

Mrs Coote, 50, broke both hands as she held the steering wheel, one elbow in three places (which is wired together) and has since developed a pulmonary embolism on her lungs and had skin grafts.

In the immediate aftermath of the crash, as they lay in Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Mrs Coote was told her husband’s critical condition would probably become fatal.

She said: “They told me and the boys that he was not going to make it.

“He’s done amazing, he really has.”

The couple have now been involved in two fatal car crashes, the first 20 years ago resulted in a man dying after his car collided with theirs before going on to hit a post.

Of their latest brush with death, Mr Coote said: “We just feel very lucky because we were going on holiday on the Monday. Our holiday was completely spoilt but at least we are here to talk about it, but on the other hand three people have died.”

Of the A1307 he added: “If you drive sensibly it’s not dangerous. It’s only the people that drive too fast that make it dangerous.”

Mr Coote believes introducing a 50mph limit on part of the road, as with the Haughley bends section of the A14 near Stowmarket, could be a way of reducing accidents on the A1307.

Mrs Coote thanked everyone who stopped to help after the accident, saying: “There were an amazing number of people who stopped and helped before the emergency services arrived and we don’t know who they are.

“I know we’ve got really bad injuries but we have stayed upbeat because at least we are still here.”

Mrs Coote added: “I’m not sure I even want to drive again, but living in a village you’ve got to be realistic. You’ve got to drive to get around.”