‘We are all heartbroken’ - Tributes to a second South Shields man who died following an A1 crash
Tributes have been paid to a second 20-year-old South Shields man who died following a crash on the A1(M).
The family of a second South Shields man who died following a collision on the A1(M) have described him as their “sparkly blue-eyed boy”.
Lewis Smith sadly died following a collision near Chester-le-Street on Sunday evening (April 26).
The 20-year-old was a passenger in a Mercedes A Class which is believed to have struck the central reservation before coming to rest on its roof.
Lewis sustained life-threatening injuries as a result of the crash and was taken to the Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI), in Newcastle, for treatment.
‘Sleep tight our beautiful boy’
In an emotional tribute to Lewis, his family described him as the “glue” that kept them together and revealed he had big plans for his upcoming 21st birthday.
They said: “We are heartbroken to say that Lewis sadly took his last breath at 3pm on Monday, April 27.
“Lewis, our beautiful, sparkly blue-eyed boy; you were your dad’s sunnn, and your mam’s voice of reason. You were the glue that kept our family together, with a smile that lit up a thousand skies.
“He was a young lad, only aged 20, and had his whole life ahead of him.
“He already had a holiday booked for his 21st to Ibiza in July and had only been back home for a few days following his first holiday away without family before this tragedy struck.
“He was the best big brother to his little sister, Ezzy, best uncle Lew to his niece, Revada, and, although the youngest brother of Stephen and Ryan, he was definitely the wisest.
“Lewis was a handsome young man with great respect for everyone. He had a heart of gold and wouldn’t hesitate to help someone in need and would always put a smile of the faces of the people he was with.
“He was a well-known lad in South Shields as he had an excellent attitude and was polite and well-mannered around everyone he met.
“He will be deeply missed by his dad (Smeg), mam, Kristen, his nine-year-old little sister, Esmée, his two older brothers, Stephen and Ryan, his five-year-old niece, Revada, his grandparents, uncles and aunties, cousins, as well as all his friends and the people he knew.
“We are all heartbroken and totally devastated by this loss. We all love you, son – you will be missed but never forgotten and will stay in our hearts and thoughts forever.
“Sleep tight our beautiful boy, may you rest in peace.”
Police continue to appeal for witnesses
Durham Constabulary have stated that the crash happened on the northbound carriageway between junction 62 and 63 at around 10.50pm on Sunday.
The road was closed for over 12 hours to allow for emergency services to deal with the incident and police officers to carry out their investigations.
The driver of the car, 20-year-old Jordan Orrock, also from South Shields, sadly died at the scene.
A second passenger, a man also aged 20, sustained serious injuries following the collision and was taken hospital for treatment.
Officers are wanting to speak to anyone who witnessed the collision, or anyone who may have dashcam footage of the vehicle prior to the incident.
If you have any information, you should contact the Serious Collision Investigation Unit via: [email protected], or call 101 quoting incident number 516 of April 26.
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