Waterlooville crash: Ex-Royal Navy commodore named as crash victim

Commodore Malcolm Williams was a man of "principle, fortitude and compassion", his family said

A retired Royal Navy commodore has been named as the victim of a motorway crash involving two cars and a lorry.

Commodore Malcolm Williams, 69, of Southsea, Hampshire, died on the A3(M), near Waterlooville, on 20 April.

He was appointed CBE for his work on crises in Sierra Leone, Kosovo, Mozambique and Honduras, police said.

The former chief executive of the Shipwrecked Mariners' Society was a man of "principle, fortitude and compassion", his family added.

The northbound A3(M) in Hampshire was closed for six hours following the crash

Police were called at 11:42 BST to junction three of the A3(M) on the northbound carriageway.

Cdre Williams was pronounced dead at the scene and his wife Sally was taken to hospital with serious injuries.

Paying tribute, his family said he was a "loving husband, father, grandfather and brother".

Cdre Williams' 31-year naval career included service in the Falklands War, as well as spells in command of HMS Andromeda, HMS Scylla and HMS Fearless.

He was appointed CBE for coordinating the joint response to crises in Sierra Leone, Kosovo and humanitarian responses to natural disasters in Mozambique and Honduras, police said.

The Shipwrecked Mariners' Society, in Chichester, said the commodore was a "compassionate and dedicated man of service".

The charity's chief executive Captain Justin Osmond said: "Sincere and ever approachable, he touched the lives of so many people, which is clearly represented by the flood of messages received by the society since this tragic news emerged."

Officers have appealed for drivers with dashcam footage of the crash and other witnesses to contact them.