Tributes have been paid to a young man killed in a car crash, whose five-year-old daughter was discovered alone with his body after thick fog hid the wreckage.
Carl Marren paid tribute to his son, William, a supervisor at a metal finishing company in Stoke-on-Trent, in a series of Facebook posts. “It breaks my heart to tell everyone that today we lost William,” he wrote.
“RIP son, I love you. Tonight is going to be a long night. I am sorry, wish had been me that was taken not you. My heart [is] so broken, I miss you so much.”
Paramedics said Jessica Marren could have been in the black Ford Fiesta for some time after it crashed on the B5030 at Crakemarsh, Uttoxeter. She was taken to Royal Stoke University hospital after complaining of pain in her back and abdomen, but her injuries are believed to be minor.
Posting a picture of father and daughter on a rollercoaster, Marren’s 20-year-old brother, Alex, wrote: “A big chunk of my life missing now that u have left us. U will never be forgotten bro missing u already man I love u man !!!!!!!”
The vehicle was discovered in a ditch in foggy conditions on Sunday morning by two cyclists, who alerted the authorities. Police are appealing for witnesses who may have seen the car before the accident.
West Midlands ambulance service said the car was considerably damaged and appeared to have been there for some time, though it is understood friends and family had seen Marren on Saturday.
“It was very foggy at the time. Unfortunately, it was immediately obvious that the man driving had passed away. This was an extremely difficult incident for all involved, including the two cyclists who made the discovery,” a spokesman said.
“At this early stage of the investigation it is not known what time the collision occurred. Anyone with information is urged to call Staffordshire police on 101 quoting incident 300 of 1 November.”
At the time the Met Office had issued a weather warning for the area and much of the rest of England due to the dense fog, and warned travel might be affected by poor visibility, which had been less than 100 metres at times.
