A family dealing with a second road fatality tragedy has paid tribute to their motocross-loving son, who died at the site of an incident in Wem over the weekend.
Craig Lear-Jones, 28, died after his motorbike collided with a wall outside the Fox bar in High Street, Wem, on Saturday afternoon.
The Lear-Jones family has faced the tragic grief of a road crash loss twice in little over five years, most recently when Craig’s 24-year-old sister Tara Lear-Jones, a carer, died on the A539 near Penley.
“We are all devastated with another tragedy,” said Andrea Jones, 47, of the family’s house on neighbouring Lowe Hill Road. “We want to thank the emergency services for everything they did to attempt to save Craig’s life, as well as everyone who sent messages and cards and left flowers at the scene.
“It is lovely to know that people are thinking about us.”
An off-duty paramedic was on the scene, along with ambulance crew, a paramedic, and the Midlands Air Ambulance from Cosford.
Despite their best attempts, the young man was pronounced dead on the scene.
“The emergency services did the best they could to try to save Craig’s life,” Mrs. Jones told reporters.
Mrs Jones described her son as a loving family man who enjoyed “making a loud noise.” He was single and worked as a ground worker in the building business.
“Everyone knew when Craig was around,” his mother remarked. “He loved anything which made a lot of noise, and rap music.”
“Craig lived for his nieces and nephews and his tiny one year old Chihuahua, Chalkie,” said Andrea’s mum.
Craig’s nieces and nephews, Imogen and Willow France, ages eight and six, Alfie Abbott, five, and two-year-old Lola Lear-Jones, are “devastated,” according to Mrs Jones.
“The older ones especially know what has happened,” she told me.
Craig, who attended St Peter’s Primary School and The Thomas Adams School in Wem, was on his way home from the shops around 5.30pm when he was involved in a car accident. The family is unsure of the cause of the accident, which has been reported to the coroner.
Craig, the third eldest of seven children, is survived by his mother and father, as well as his siblings Gemma Lear-Jones, 30, Harriet Lear-Jones, 26, Jack Lear-Jones, 22, Owen Lear-Jones, 20, and Amber Lear-Jones, 17.
West Mercia Police are investigating, and authorities have asked for witnesses to come forward.
A police spokeswoman said: “Did you see a motorbike collide with a wall in Wem on Saturday?
“The driver of the grey bike, a 28-year-old man, sadly died at the scene.”
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