Tributes paid to crash pair after car hits parked lorry

Hundreds of tributes have been paid to a "happy and caring" 16-year-old fire cadet who died when the car she was in crashed into a parked lorry.

Hayley Bates and the car driver Ian Lewkowicz, 26, both from Stoke-on-Trent, died at the scene on the A500 near the Hanford area of the city.

They crashed at about 2305 BST on Wednesday. The lorry driver was unhurt.

Mr Lewkowicz's family said he had been "a wonderful son and brother".

Facebook tributes

The IT worker had been an active supporter of Stoke City Football Club.

His family said: "He was loving, caring and had so many friends. We will all miss him."

Miss Bates was a former pupil of Biddulph High School and had just started a course in motor vehicle maintenance at Burlsem College.

Her family said hundreds of people had placed tributes to her on the social networking site Facebook.

'Great respect'

"Hayley was a happy and caring girl who would do anything for anybody.

"[She] was actively involved in the Cheshire Fire Service Cadets, something she loved and had great respect for," her family added.

An assembly was held in her memory on Friday.

Anyone with information about the crash should call Staffordshire Police or call Crimestoppers anonymously.