Touching family tributes to car crash teen Ashlee

23 July 2010

Ashlee Jones

A POPULAR teen with "a heart of gold" who died in a car crash has been remembered fondly by his devastated family.

Ashlee Jones, 16, who went to King's Wood School, Harold Hill, died following the incident in Harold Hill in the early hours of Sunday, July 4.

He was returning home to his father and grandmother in Orchis Way from a party in Brentwood with a friend when the blue Toyota RAV4 they were in veered off the road when travelling east in Stratton Road at the junction with Dagnam Park Drive. It overturned and ploughed through a hedge.

Many heartfelt messages, flowers, cards and cuddly toys have been left at the scene of the tragedy.

The tragedy has left Ashlee's father, Mick, 44, mother, Penny, 37, step-father, Gary, 30, sisters Charlee, 17, and Emily, 12, and grandmother, Mary, 69, stunned and heartbroken.

Tribute pages have also been set up on Facebook where hundreds more well-wishers have posted tributes to Ashlee.

Remembering the horrific moment when police knocked on her door to tell her the awful news, Penny said "it just didn't click". She had last seen him on the Friday evening.

Mick last saw Ashlee on Saturday when he asked to borrow some money on his way out. He handed it over to his son who, walking away with his friends "happy as Larry", said: "I love you; I'll see you later."

Penny said: "He was very affectionate. He would always give us a kiss or a cuddle, it didn't matter if his friends where there or not."

Mick said: "Ashlee was very protective of his sisters and very loyal to his family and friends. He had a heart of gold."

Mick said Ashlee's nan "couldn't speak she was so devastated" and using her affectionate nickname for her grandson told him: "I'm never going to see my little 'Tashles' again."

Ashlee was an Arsenal fan and enjoyed fishing and hanging out with his friends, mostly in Leytonstone where he spent most of his life growing up before his parents split three years ago.

Since then Ashlee has shared his time living with his father, a warehouse manager, in Harold Hill, and his mother, a hairdresser, step-father, a mechanic, and sisters in Hainault Road, Leytonstone.

Ashlee went to Newtons Primary School in Rainham, then Leytonstone High and moved to King's Wood School about a year ago.

Penny said: "Right through school he was always the classroom clown. He just liked having a laugh."

From "knee-high" Ashlee wanted to become an Army pilot and began to realise that dream joining the cadets at the Territorial Army centre in Whipps Cross for several years as a teenager where he was praised for his potential.

But his interests later turned to mechanics and construction work.

Ashlee was also due to start a construction course at Walthamstow College later this year but Penny said: "He didn't get the chance to. He had a lot to give and it got taken away."

Gary said: "There's a lot of things that boy's missed out on. The whole house just feels empty."

Penny said: "We're all waiting for him to walk back through the door."

A post-mortem has taken place, but a second may be requested.

The cause of death was identified as traumatic asphyxia.

lA youth of 17 remains on police bail until October while the investigation continues.

Anyone with information is asked to call DS Mark Robson on 0208 597 4874.