Man, 18, becomes FOURTH person to die in horror road crash
Teenager, 18, becomes FOURTH person to die in horror road crash after losing his fight for life in hospital – as tragedy also claimed lives of two 16-year-old girls and male driver, 21
- Nathan Cartwright, 18, was in the Skoda Fabia which crashed in Kingswinford
- Was rushed to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital’s Major Trauma Centre on Tuesday
- Driver Joshua Parkes, 21, Lucy Tibbetts, 16, and Izzie Floyd, 16, died at the scene
- Fifth passenger, Isobel Ramsell, also 16, is in a critical condition in hospital
An 18-year-old man has died in hospital after a horror car crash which killed three people left him fighting for his life.
Nathan Cartwright, 18, was in the front seat of a yellow Skoda Fabia which ploughed into a tree in Kingswinford, near Dudley, on Tuesday night.
West Midlands Ambulance Service rushed him to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital’s Major Trauma Centre with serious injuries but he tragically lost his fight for life on Saturday.
Mr Cartwright is the fourth person to die in the crash after driver Joshua Parkes, 21, Lucy Tibbetts, 16 and Izzie Floyd, 16, were pronounced dead at the scene.
A fifth passenger, Isobel Ramsell, also 16, is in a critical condition in hospital with potential life-threatening injuries.
Nathan Cartwright, 18, has died in hospital after a horror car crash which killed three people left him fighting for his life
He is the fourth person to die in the crash after driver Joshua Parkes, 21 (left) and Lucy Tibbetts, 16, (right) were pronounced dead at the scene
Izzie Floyd, 16, was also pronounced dead at the scene in the crash in Kingswinford, near Dudley, on Tuesday night
A police car was nearby when the crash happened but West Midlands Police has so far been unable to clarify whether it had been chasing the Fabia.
In an emotional tribute, Mr Cartwright’s mother said: ‘My gorgeous boy Nath taken way too soon. You lived your short life to the full. You are at peace now.
‘I would also like to thank the emergency services and the QE Hospital for saving his life and giving me the chance to say goodbye to him.’
In the wake of the tragic news, a GoFundMe page has been set up to give Mr Cartwright ‘the send off he deserves’.
Within 24 hours, more than half of the £2,000 target had been reached.
‘Heaven truly has gained an angel,’ a tribute on the page said.
‘Rest easy Nath, will miss seeing your contagious smile.’
An air ambulance, a critical care cars, three paramedic officers, an emergency doctor and six ambulances were sent to the scene after the yellow Skoda Fabia crashed on Bromley Lane at around 8.50pm.
A West Midlands Police vehicle spotted the car shortly before the crash, but said it is not clear whether a pursuit took place.
A fifth passenger, Isobel Ramsell, also 16, is in a critical condition in hospital with potential life-threatening injuries
Police have launched an investigation after four of the five passengers of a Skoda Fabia were killed when their car smashed into a tree
Mr Parkes (pictured) – the car’s driver – was pronounced dead at the scene by emergency services
The deceased were among five people travelling in a yellow Skoda Fabia which crashed on Bromley Lane in the Kingswinford area of Dudley at around 8.50pm on Tuesday
Paying tribute to Miss Tibbetts earlier this week, her mother said: ‘Our beautiful baby has been taken from us.
‘You were an inspiration Lulu, you made us smile when you yourself found it so hard to… not just a daughter, a true friend.
‘Rest in peace, no-one can hurt you now.’
Miss Tibbetts had recently posted on social media her delight in passing her GCSE exams writing: ‘Most nervous day of my life, but we smashed it and I couldn’t be more proud of my best friend. Onwards and upwards.’
Friends told on Wednesday how Mr Parkes had left the road while overtaking another car before ploughing into the tree ‘at 90mph’.
Neighbours described how they ran out of their homes to perform CPR on the girls after they were flung from the wreckage.
One friend, who was laying flowers at the scene, said last week: ‘I know Lucy who died and Nathan who was in the passenger seat.
‘Nathan is hospital in Birmingham with a bleed on his brain. He’s having surgery because he’s also got a damaged spine.
A police car is seen being towed away from the scene of the crash last night. West Midlands Police said ‘ it is not known if there was any interaction with the Skoda’ by police
‘He [Josh] was going over 90mph and coming up behind another car.
‘He overtook it and as he swerved back into the lane he lost control and went into the tree.
‘I’m not sure why they were going that fast. I haven’t a clue.
‘Lucy never hurt anyone. She was a lovely girl.
‘She had started a new job and was sorting her life out, but now she’s lost it.
‘She had done accounting at college and started an apprenticeship.
‘She struggled with anxiety and other girls would give her a hard time because they were jealous of how pretty she was.’
One resident, who did not wish to be named, said: ‘I was in the utility room and the back of my house and even then it sounded like a bomb going off.
‘There was this almighty bang like thunder and we ran out and spotted this car completely mangled.
Driver Mr Parkes is believed to have put his Skoda sale up for sale on Facebook a few days before the fatal crash
‘There was hardly any of it left – it still sends a shiver down my spine thinking about it.
‘I just knew people would have lost their lives by the state of the wreckage. The girls were thrown into the road. It was just horrible.’.’
Another resident of the suburban road said they heard the crash and looked out their window to see the yellow Skoda ‘wrapped’ around the tree.
The force initially said officers had seen the vehicle moments before the crash but did not speak with the occupants or pursue the car.
A later statement instead suggests that ‘it is not known if there was any interaction with the Skoda’ by police, and this will now be investigated by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).
Emergency services rushed to the scene where three of the car’s occupants were pronounced dead. A teenage boy and a teenage girl also in the car are in a critical condition in hospital
Mr Parkes, the driver, had offered his Skoda for sale or for car swap last Friday, it later emerged.
On his Facebook account, he had posted a photograph of the vehicle with the message: ‘Any swaps/cash offers? Message for details’.
In reply to a friend on why he was selling the car so soon he replied with a ‘police car’ emoji.
The friend also asked him if it was him who he was trying to follow recently until he ran a red light. Mr Parkes replied: ‘Probably.’
A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokeswoman said: ‘Crews arrived at the scene to find a car had hit a tree, with five patients involved.
‘Sadly, it soon became clear nothing could be done to save the driver of the car, a man, and he was pronounced dead at the scene.
‘Despite best efforts of staff, two teenage girls who were back seat passengers in the vehicle were also confirmed deceased at the scene.
‘Our thoughts go out to the families of all those involved at this time.’
Floral tributes have today been left at the scene of the crash where investigators worked through the night to clear the road and collect evidence.
Floral tributes have today been left at the scene of the crash where investigators worked through the night to clear the road and collect evidence
Sgt Dean Caswell said: ‘I’d urge anyone who saw the Skoda driving in the area last night, or who may have captured anything on dash-cam footage, to get in touch with us as soon as possible’
A Go Fund Me page has been set up by Miss Tibbetts’s sister Kaya and has so far raised more than £4,900 for her funeral arrangements and a memorial bench.
A fundraiser has also been set up to raise money for the funeral arrangements for Josh – with a target of raising £3,000.
PC Chris Ridge, from the force’s collision investigation unit, previously said: ‘This is a devastating time for the families of those involved, and we have specially trained officers who are supporting them through this difficult time.
‘The loss of these young lives is shocking and deeply upsetting for all involved. All families wish to have their privacy respected at this difficult time.
‘We’re still working through a number of lines of investigation as we try to understand what happened and why.
‘Anyone who saw the Skoda driving in the area last night, or who may have captured anything on dash-cam footage, is urged to get in touch with us as soon as possible.’
