Tributes For Teen Killed In Crash - Sky News

Ethan Sarkar was travelling in the front seat alongside his father Derek

6:27am UK, Monday April 09, 2012

Tributes have been paid to a popular teenager killed with his father in a horrific car crash on Easter Saturday.

The best friend of Ethan Sarkar, 14, described him as a popular and hard-working boy who was "always smiling".

Ethan and his 46-year-old father Derek Sarkar died when their Volkswagen Golf collided head-on with a Volvo on the A614 near East Cowick, East Yorkshire, on Saturday afternoon.

Bridge at East Cowick as seen from the Aire and Calder canal

The driver of the Volvo, Sheila Stavert-Lee, 70, from Wigginton, near York, was also killed in the crash on a bridge over the Aire and Calder Navigation canal.

A Facebook tribute page said: "Always with us wherever he is - we lost a boy, heaven gained an angel."

Mr Sarkar's wife Karen, 44, and their nine-year-old daughter Abbie remain in a serious condition at Leeds General Infirmary.

Speaking from outside the Sarkar's family home in Sheldon Heath Road, Birmingham, Connor Meredith, 14, said he had been devastated by news of Ethan's death.

He said: "He was the best. He was my best friend and I loved him, I thought the world of him. He was funny and popular and he was always hard working.

"He would always cheer you up if you were down and he was always smiling. He would help anyone.

"I came to his house every day to walk to school with him.

I was speaking to him yesterday on BlackBerry messenger and then he just didn't reply. I found out later what had happened. I am devastated.

Ethan Sarkar's friend Connor Meredith

"I was speaking to him yesterday on BlackBerry messenger and then he just didn't reply. I found out later what had happened, from his cousin. I am devastated."

Ethan loved football and water fights according to Connor, who believed the Sarkar family had been visiting relatives for a birthday celebration.

Humberside Police said Mr Sarkar was driving north over a canal bridge on the A614 with his son in the front passenger seat when their silver Volkswagen collided with Mrs Stavert-Lee's red Volvo V70.

A force spokeswoman said: "It appears the Volvo had crossed on to the wrong side of the carriageway into the path of the oncoming Golf."

The father and son were confirmed dead at the scene along with Mrs Stavert-Lee. Mr Sarkar's wife and daughter were airlifted to Leeds.

Earlier, Debbie Hinchliffe, who nearby the bridge where the two cars collided, told how she ran to the wreckage to the sound of children screaming.

A nearby resident raced to try and helped the cars' occupants

She said she found Mrs Stavert-Lee unconscious in the Volvo, which had smoke pouring from its front and appeared to be about to set on fire.

Mrs Hinchliffe said she wanted to talk about the horrific scene she witnessed in the hope something is done about the road outside her house, which has seen a catalogue of crashes.

"The old lady was unconscious and kids were screaming in the back of the other car," she said.

She said: "I'm just sorry that I couldn't have done more."

Mrs Hinchliffe said Mrs Stavert-Lee's daughter was following her mother in another car and came across the scene.

It is believed they were travelling to Doncaster from the York area.