The husband of a good Samaritan who was killed while trying to help the young victim of a car crash paid tribute to her caring nature yesterday.

Terry Wilkinson, from Gloucestershire, said his “vivacious” wife Vivienne had spent a lifetime helping others.

Mum-of-two Mrs Wilkinson died in a freak accident earlier this week when she jumped out of her car to help a 17-year-old motorist whose own car had overturned on an icy country lane.

Tragically, another car coming along the road lost control on the ice and ploughed in to her. Mrs Wilkinson was crushed between the two vehicles.

The 49-year-old, who ran a residential home for adults with learning difficulties near Stroud, died later at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital.

Yesterday as friends and neighbour lined up to pay tribute to the occupational therapist who had worked in Britain and abroad, Mr Wilkinson said the circumstances of her death were typical of her good nature.

“That’s the type of person she was,” said the 51-year-old. “It was just an extension of the work she did here at Orchard Leigh every day.”

The couple married in 1994 and two years ago they moved to the Camphill community at Orchard Leigh, Eastington, so that Mrs Wilkinson, who taught pottery, could complete a teaching course.

Mr Wilkinson said a letter of condolence he had received from the mother of one of the youngsters living at Orchard Leigh summed up his wife’s character.

It read: “I will never forget her vivacity and how welcome she made us feel. Vivienne’s optimism and lovely smile really did encourage us to believe that better times might lie ahead.”

Born in Bordeaux, France, Mrs Wilkinson studied occupational therapy in Oxford.

She was driving towards Gloucester on Tuesday morning when she came across the upside-down red Ford Fiesta on a country lane near the village of Haresfield, Gloucestershire and noticed the teenage driver was trapped.

But as she tried to free him, a white Citroen driven by a 23-year-old man from Gloucester, lost control.

Chairman of Haresfield Parish Council, David Purchase, said the local community had already raised concerns about that stretch of road and had been left in shock by the accident.

“It was a horrific accident, especially as she was only trying to be a good Samaritan,” he said.

Friends of Mrs Wilkinson said she was a pillar of the community.

One said: “She was such a lovely, caring woman. Stopping to help was totally in her character.”

“She truly is a good Samaritan.”

A police spokesman said the incident was being treated as a “tragic accident” and that no arrests had been made.

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