The family of a young driver who lost his life in a Gateshead collision have paid a heartfelt tribute to the "caring young man with everything to live for".
Shortly after 4am on Saturday, May 7, police received a report of an overturned vehicle on the Lobley Hill footbridge of the roundabout above the A1. Officers and emergency services attended the scene and found the driver, Mark Hoult, trapped inside.
The 23-year-old was freed from the car and taken to hospital where he later sadly died from his injuries. On Wednesday, his family paid tribute to the Burnopfield man and thanked those who tried to save his life.
They said: “We are truly heartbroken and numb with disbelief. Mark was a loving and caring young man with everything to live for. He was always looking for that next challenge and exploring what the world had to offer.
“We would like to thank everyone for their love and continued support. We also extend our sincere thanks to the RVI and the emergency services. As a family we now respectfully ask that we are given the time and privacy to grieve and come to terms with the loss of Mark.”
Following the collision, an investigation was launched to determine the circumstances of the crash.
PC Marc Lennox, of Northumbria Police Motor Patrols, said: “Our thoughts remain with Mark’s family and friends as they attempt to come to terms with their devastating loss and we ask that their privacy is respected. I want to thank those who have already come forward with information to help our investigation and encourage anyone yet to get in touch to contact officers.
“We are appealing to anyone who may have seen a white Renault Megane travelling around the time of the incident or has dashcam or CCTV of the surrounding area to contact us as we try to establish exactly what has happened.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact police via the ‘Tell Us Something’ page of their website or by calling 101 quoting log NP-20220507-0142.
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