The woman who died after her car hit a wall on Coity Road in Bridgend on Monday has been named by police as Eleanor Barnfield. The 47-year-old worked for the housing association Valleys to Coast, police said.
Her family, who are being supported by family liaison officers, paid tribute to her in a statement released through the force on Wednesday. “Mum was the kindest, most loving bravest person in the world,” they said.
The family added: “She meant everything to us and will be forever loved and missed deeply by her devoted family and friends. She was our rock.”
A 61-year-old man from Bridgend remains in police custody after being arrested on suspicion of murder, South Wales Police said.
Puncture wounds ‘unrelated to the collision’ after the Coity Road crash at 12.43pm on Monday
Officers were called to Coity Road at around 12.43pm on Monday 19 October after a report that a car had hit a wall, as Swansea Bay News reported on Tuesday.
The force said: “Upon attendance, officers identified that the driver had sustained puncture wounds unrelated to the collision.” She was taken to hospital, where she later died.
The force had earlier described the driver as a 47-year-old woman from North Cornelly. On Wednesday it said she was from Bridgend.
The arrest followed “a significant policing operation” around Ger-y-Nant, which police said is a Valleys to Coast property. The operation ran through Monday night, and people were displaced from their homes, according to the force.
‘Our thoughts remain firmly with Eleanor’s family’: Chief Superintendent Jason Rees
Chief Superintendent Jason Rees said: “Our thoughts remain firmly with Eleanor’s family. I want to assure the community that teams of detectives and specialist staff are investigating.”
He added: “We appreciate the patience and support of residents, especially those displaced following the incident. Local communities may notice an increased police presence as our investigation continues.”
The force is asking anyone who witnessed the incident, or who has any relevant information, to contact it through its online reporting portal, quoting reference number 2600342470. It has also asked people not to “speculate online about the circumstances”.
Valleys to Coast has run Bridgend’s former council homes since 2003, when it became the first housing association in Wales to take on a council’s housing stock in a large-scale transfer, according to the association.
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