Family pay tribute to “truly unique” granddad who died in A690 collision

“We thank you for being a part of our lives and we will miss you and love you forever.”

The heartbroken family of Michael Casey who died when the van he was driving collided with a HGV on the A690 near Brancepeth, said he was “a truly unique, kind and caring man.”

The collision occurred at about 11.15am on Tuesday, July 1.

The 58-year-old, from Crook, was son to Jenny, brother to Sharon and Dawn and dad to Ashley, grandad to Freddie, Livvie and Lenny.

In a statement, Ashley said: “He will be profoundly missed by everyone who had the pleasure of knowing him.

“His quirky humour brought smiles to countless faces. He opened his heart and home to many, always happy to help people whether it was giving lifts, fixing cars, or making a Sunday roast dinner for friends over the years.

“His mam Jenny will miss Michael dearly. Every Sunday, he took her for lunch after the passing of her husband and he was always there.

“His sisters Sharon and Dawn said he unintentionally created a place where men in his community could meet, chat, have a coffee and fix their cars, with the garage he had built at the side of the house.

“Michael loved the company of others, and enjoyed working on cars, fixing them, and driving them, ever since he was a teenager.

“He will be remembered not only for his kindness and passion for cars but his love for his family and friends and his quirky humour, his love of food and the countless positive impacts he had on so many lives.

“We all thank you for being a part of our lives. We will miss you and love you forever.”

Michael’s family are being supported by specialist officers.

The road was closed in both directions for several hours to allow collision investigators to examine the scene.

The driver of the HQV was taken to hospital and later released.

Anyone who witnessed the collision or has dashcam and has not yet spoken to officers is asked to get in touch by emailing [email protected] quoting incident number 163 of July 1.