The parents of a young driver killed in a horror car smash on Friday night paid tribute to him as “a lovely lad who made everyone laugh.”
Joe Brook, who only turned 21 on New Year’s Eve, was driving home from the gym when his white Renault Clio ploughed into a stone wall and a lamppost.
The tragedy happened on the climb up Round Ings Road at Scapegoat Hil when Joe was just a couple of minutes’ drive from his home in Nettleton Hill.
Police closed the road following the accident at 7.50pm and an inspector confirmed he had been pronounced dead at the scene.
Joe’s mum Joanne and dad Mark said they were “numb” at the news that their eldest son had died.
They say they have yet to be told the circumstances of the accident.
Mark, a semi-retired electrician, said: “I don’t know what’s happened or what’s caused it, we don’t know.
“We had been out and were ready for coming home. We met some friends and walked across to Scapegoat Hill Liberal Club when someone who lives down the road said there had been a bad accident.”
Joanne, 49, said: “I immediately rang Joe on his mobile phone but got no answer. I then rang my other son Jack and he said the police are here and I just knew.
“We are just numb at the moment, it’s not really sunk in. He was a lovely lad. He had a dry sense of humour and was very laid back.”
Mark, 57, added: “He already had a Toyota car and a motorbike for the summer but he decided to buy this sports car, a ‘souped-up’ Renault capable of 200 BHP.
“He’d only bought it last week. He had developed a penchant for fast cars.
“He was working as an engineer for Cummins and had a good future ahead of him and was looking to go further. He had everything to live for.”
Joe was a former student at Salendine Nook High School.
Brother Jack, an 18-year-old student at Kirklees College, said: “Joe loved movies. He was supposed to be meeting up with his friends on Saturday to book a holiday.
“We were best friends. He had become a role model to me.”
Police have appealed for witnesses to come forward. No-one else was injured and it is not clear whether any other vehicle was involved.
An inquest will be held into Joe’s death.
Anyone with any information is asked to the call the Major Collision and Enquiry Team on 101 quoting log 1656 of Friday January 12.
