The parents of a 14-year-old boy killed in a seven-vehicle motorway crash have described him as a 'true superhero'. Joe Cairns, from Radcliffe, Greater Manchester, died alongside 50-year-old Anne Kerr when a lorry collided with a school minibus on the M58 on Tuesday.
Joe's parents, Steph and Andy Cairns, said in a statement: 'Joe, my brave boy, a true fighter with a heart of gold. An amazing sense of humour and infectious smile, a true superhero.' Joe was a pupil at Pontville School in Ormskirk, a school for students with special educational needs.
Head teacher Justine Sims paid tribute, calling Joe 'bright, articulate and observant' and 'a ray of sunshine and laughter for all at Pontville School'. She added: 'It is really hard to describe Joe in just a few sentences. A lovely young boy with the most amazing sense of humour, Joe is in our hearts and minds forever.'
Anne Kerr's family said she was a 'much loved' mother 'to two lovely boys' and would be 'deeply missed by all her friends and family' who are 'all heartbroken'. Three people remain in hospital in a serious but stable condition following the crash.
In a separate incident on the same stretch of road 90 minutes later, a woman in her 90s and two men were seriously injured but have since been discharged from hospital. The HGV driver, a 31-year-old man from Chorley arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving, has been released while inquiries continue.
