Tributes paid to 'inspirational' and 'well-known' Northampton grandfather who died while crossing busy road in town

Tributes have been paid to an 'inspirational' and 'well-known' Northampton grandfather who was killed while crossing a busy road in town.

Karl Peter Chambers, 56, was hit by a black Ford Ka car while crossing Broad Street to get to his home in the Spring Boroughs area of the town on Wednesday, November 3 at 1.45pm.

Mr Chambers' daughter Jenna, who now lives in St Ives in Cornwall, has paid tribute to her dad and described the 'devastation' his death has had on the family.

Jenna said: "He was crossing the road to go home. He was going down Sheep Street and crossed over the wall and we don't know whether he tripped or walked across and got hit, but he didn't make it. He died instantly.

"We're all devastated. We're numb. It doesn't seem real. He has got three grandchildren and two children, my brother Mark (33) and I.

"It's going to be difficult without him - really difficult. We spoke to him every day. We miss him. He was a great inspiration to many people and will never be forgotten.

"A lot of people respected him. He was a good guy. He's well-known in Northampton and has been here all his life."

Jenna said her dad had been sober for seven years and took great pride in looking after his well-being.

The 32-year-old said: "He had been sober for seven years nearly eight. He used to go to alcoholics anonymous (AA) meetings everyday - it was his life. He had two separate lives, one for AA and one for us guys, his family.

"He loved his walking. He always used to walk and go on treks through Delapre, the yellow brick road walk in Chapel Brampton, Althorpe, and Brampton Valley Way.

"He liked being on his own and spend time walking and trekking. He didn't have a partner because being sober was his priority. He wanted to meet someone but he wasn't looking.

"He was always watching his weight, watching what he ate, and making sure he was really healthy - he did everything for his sobriety.

"He had his own oven cleaning business which he started on his own called KP Oven Cleans - he went everywhere doing it."

Jenna says her dad was getting ready to move down to Cornwall before Christmas this year to be closer to her, Mark and his grandchildren.

She said: "He couldn't wait to come down to Cornwall with me and my brother - it's sad, so sad.

"He wanted to move away and be with us and carry on his oven cleaning business in Cornwall."

Mr Chambers' funeral is set to be held at Towcester Road Cemetery, in Mereway, but his body will be buried in Cornwall. Jenna and Mark have started a GoFundMe page to help raise money towards the funeral and burial costs.

"The GoFundMe page has been setup because we have not got a lot of money. If anyone wants to help it will be appreciated. We want to bury him in Cornwall but will be having the funeral in Northampton where everyone can pay their respects.

"He wouldn't want us to go through much trouble but we just want him to be with us [in Cornwall], where he wanted to be," Jenna said.

So far, at the time of writing (Thursday, November 11), the page has raised £1,580 of its £4,500 goal.

To donate to the fundraiser, click here.

Northamptonshire Police's Serious Collision Investigation Team is appealing for witnesses, dashcam footage or CCTV relating to the incident.

Anyone with information or footage is asked to call Drivewatch on 0800 174615 quoting reference number: 252.

The collision happened just a couple of hundred yards from the spot where a 39-year-old woman and her unborn child died in a collision with a Nissan Pathfinder in May.Read more: Three pedestrians killed on same busy stretch of Northampton road in four years - but what are the authorities doing about it?