Western Daily Press (Saturday)
Family pay tribute to ‘cheeky chappy’ Jamie who died after police pursuit
THE family of a “cheeky chappy” who died in a collision in Wiltshire have paid tribute to him.
Jamie Donnelly, 17, died on Tuesday evening, when the Vauxhall Astra he was in collided with the roundabout on the A419 at junction 15 for the M4.
Wiltshire Police has referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct as the incident occurred following a police pursuit.
Jamie’s family said: “Our precious Jamie has been taken from us far too soon.
“He was a cheeky chappy, a very talented football player and an allround sports man.
“Jamie loved his Xbox and was quite competitive.
“He had such an infectious laugh and knew how to light up a room.
“Jamie was also one of the kindest, sweetest boys. He was very popular and never forgot anyone he met and vice-versa – he left a lasting impression on anyone who met him.”
A fundraising website was set up following Jamie’s death, but his family said they had not launched it.
They said: “We are aware of the GoFundMe page which has been set up on behalf of the family. We would like to clarify this has not been set up by our family or any of our close friends.
“We appreciate that many of our friends have contributed to the page and we really appreciate your generosity. We do not need the money for the funeral and we hope that the money can be used for something positive in the future.
“We would urge as a family that any future donations be stopped whilst we consider the most suitable charity we would like to donate to.”
They added: “We would like to publicly appeal for any speculation about the collision and ongoing investigation to stop with immediate effect.
“We are trying to grieve as a family and unwanted comments on social media are having a negative impact on all of us.”
Wiltshire Police have previously said that a man in his 20s arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving has been released on bail.
And two other occupants of the car, both women in their 20s, who were arrested on suspicion of taking a vehicle without consent, have been released under investigation.