A DRIVER killed in a road tragedy may have saved the life of his passenger as his car careered into a lamp-post.

Grieving family and friends of 28-year-old Leigh Sedgwick believe he deliberately leaned across his front-seat passenger to stop her being flung from his Subaru Impreza as it crashed in Huddersfield.

Leigh died when the car smashed into a lamp-post at the big roundabout close to the Asda store on Bradford Road at 6am on Saturday.

His close friend, 32-year-old Mark Bates, of Lockwood, said: "It seems Leigh leaned across the woman in the front passenger seat.

"The car then hit the lamp-post and Leigh's side took the full force of the impact."

The woman survived and has been allowed home from hospital.

Two men who were in the back seats are still being treated at Huddersfield Royal Infirmary.

Mark saw Leigh at his home in Bradley just an hour before the tragedy.

"I was on my way home from a night out in Leeds," said Mark.

"Leigh said he was staying in and that was the last time I saw him. He seemed absolutely fine.

"But he must have changed his mind after I left and decided to go out after all.

"Leigh was just so full of life. He lived it to the full and made every moment count."

The two had been on holiday to Ibiza for a week last month and had a great time.

"We thought Ibiza would be good," said Mark.

"But it was even better than we expected. It was the best holiday we'd ever had and we went clubbing every night."

Mark revealed that he and Leigh - both members at Waterloo gym Fitness First - were finalising plans to open a gym in Doncaster and had sorted out the money for it.

Leigh worked as a DJ in Huddersfield for several years under his nickname Sedgy.

He was particularly well-known at Abrahams - which has now shut down - and other pubs and clubs.

His sister, Samantha, said: "He loved his music, firstly garage and then bassline.

"Hundreds of people knew him. No-one can believe he's no longer here. It's just so shocking. One minute he was here. Now he's gone.

"I keep expecting him to walk through the door," added Samantha. "He was just such a happy person who got on with everyone and loved being at the centre of everything."

She said Leigh had a passion for fast cars and had only had the blue Subaru for six weeks.

"He was a good brother, a good uncle and a great dad," she said.

Leigh has three young sons - Branden and Jamia to Jasmine Boyle and Louis to Kirsty Richards.

Jasmine said: "He was very close to his sons and Branden idolised his dad.

"I think he understands what has happened, but just does not want to believe it yet. He just keeps asking why everyone is crying."

Flowers have been tied high up the lamp-post where the car crashed and friends have been holding vigils at the scene of the tragedy.

Two gazebos have now been set up on a grassy area next to the roundabout, to shield mourners from the weather.

Leigh was born in Bradley and went to Bradley Junior and Infants School and Fartown High School.

His parents, Alan Sedgwick and Lyn Dancaster, live in Bradley.

Apart from Samantha, Leigh leaves a 15-year-old brother, Thomas, a sister, Robyn, who is 14, and step-sister Shelley.

He has worked as a glazier for Dewsbury firm D L Glass and then as a forklift truck driver in Huddersfield. He also worked for housing management firm Connaught.

* Leigh's funeral on Friday morning is expected to be attended by hundreds of mourners.

His coffin will be in a horse- drawn hearse which will leave Alandale Road in Bradley at 10am.

It will then tour Bradley, where Leigh was born and brought up, before arriving at Christ Church in Woodhouse Hill at 11am.

After the funeral he will be buried in the graveyard there.

His family have asked for all the men to wear black and all the women to wear white at the funeral, because the two colours were Leigh's favourites.

An inquest into his death was opened today at Huddersfield Coroner's Court.