AN HORRIFIC road accident in France which claimed the lives of four people and left a fifth fighting for her life has shattered the retirement dream of a former Minehead police inspector and left him facing possible manslaughter charges. Keith Bridges' wife Julie-Ann, 43, and his ten-year- old stepdaughter Bethany Lowe were killed in the crash, along with a 41-year-old family friend from Bridgwater Andrew Dyer and his daughter Gabriella, also ten. Mr Dyer's 38-year-old wife Tracey, in a coma following the accident, is understood to be showing signs of regaining consciousness and is said to be in a very serious but stable condition, while the couple's two other children, seven-year-old Charlotte and Keiran, four, were treated for non- critical injuries. Mr Bridges, 49, was driving the overloaded Jeep Cherokee, carrying a total of seven passengers, when it collided with roadside trees at about 11pm last Wednesday, just 500 yards from the Bridges' home in Berbiguieres in the Dordogne. The wreckage of the mangled vehicle is being examined for any mechanical fault, which has yet to be ruled out. However, tests have confirmed that Mr Bridges was two times over the French drink/drive limit, which is a blood/alcohol level of 50 micrograms, compared to the higher 80mg limit in Britain. French police have also said there were not enough seat belts in the jeep for all the passengers. The French state prosecution service began interviewing Mr Bridges on Monday, although he is believed to be still receiving treatment in hospital for a broken leg and injuries to his hand and is said to be in a state of shock. The Dyers were in their first week of a fortnight's holiday with the Bridges when tragedy struck as the party of friends was returning from a local restaurant. Mr Bridges, who has grown-up children from a previous marriage who are believed to have flown out to be with him, moved to France with his wife, a former traffic warden, and stepdaughter last October. He had retired in August from a 30-year career with the Avon and Somerset force and had spent more than a year planning the family's new life, often speaking about it to people he came into contact with through his job as the Minehead-based sector inspector for West Somerset. He held the position for just over four years and it was his second stint of service in West Somerset, having been a sergeant in Williton from 1986 to 1988. He was later promoted to inspector, stationed at Bridgwater, and before returning to West Somerset had been the force's equal opportunities officer at Portishead headquarters. Last year West Somerset's MP Ian Liddell-Grainger praised Mr Bridges for his work in the community and presented him with a citation and House of Commons crystal bowl. Over the past week, shocked former police and other colleagues have been striving to come to terms with the aftermath of the crash. Inspector Nic Crocker, sector commander for West Somerset who took over from Mr Bridges, said colleagues had envied his apparent dream retirement. "It is just awful that it ended this way. "I worked with Julie and Keith for many years. Both have served communities throughout Somerset over many years. "My thoughts and those of my colleagues at Minehead, Williton and Dulverton are with the bereaved." He added: "I have received many calls from ex- colleagues, partners from other agencies and the public describing how saddened they are by these events." And Chief Superintendent John Snell, district commander for Somerset West, said he too was shocked to learn of the accident. "The deaths of Julie, Bethany, Mr Dyer and his daughter Gabriella are tragic in the extreme. "I send my condolences to all involved." Mr Bridges played a key role in getting the community involved in the fight against crime and Martin Greenwood, former community officer at West Somerset Council, contacted the Free Press to speak of his shock and sorrow. "I worked closely with Keith for five years, prior to his retirement and my relocation to Ireland," said Mr Greenwood. "I hold him in high regard and know him to be a strong family man and very community focused. "He was so looking forward to establishing his family in their new home in France. "The devastating news and the loss of people so close to Keith is incomprehensible. "It seems so inadequate but the thoughts of his friends and former colleagues are with him now and always."