Ringwood crash - driver was rally champion (From Daily Echo)

Ringwood crash - driver was rally champion

4:02pm Monday 9th June 2008 in

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Police have identitifed the three men who died in two accidents on Hampshire roads over the weekend.

In the first accident Paul Choat died instantly after his car careered off the A338 at Blashford, also smashing into a tree.

Shortly after midnight the 43- year-old, from Green Lane, Fordingbridge, died when his silver Mercedes collided with trees and a telegraph pole.

Mr Choat owned the Verwood 4x4 and Mini Centre and was a well known and respected figure in the Raleigh Racing Community. He was the three times 4x4 off-road British Rally Champion.

He is survived by his partner Beverley.

One of Mr Choat's close friends, Barry Watkins, said: "Paul was unique, a larger than life character who was willing to help anyone. His death leaves a huge hole in many people's lives."

The accident happened on a right-hand bend between the Snails Lane and Ivy Lane junctions at Blashford, near Ringwood.

Police closed the road for seven hours while they investigated the cause of the tragedy. Officers confirmed that no other vehicles were involved.

An hour later two men were killed and a third man in his twenties was left fighting for his life following a collision on Lepe Road near Langley.

The driver of the car was Brett Richardson, a 27-year-old stores accountant with the Royal Navy from Mansfield Road in Gosport. His front seat passenger was Steven Ritchie, 24, a craftsman in the army with 17 Port and Maritime Regiment, from Margate, Kent. A 21-year-old from Calshot is in Southampton General Hospital, and his condition is described as serious but not life threatening.

The three men were travelling in a blue Subaru when they lost control and crashed head-on with a tree, just south of the junction with Stanswood Road, at about 1am.

The horrific scene was discovered by a police van, which moments earlier had been behind the Subaru at the Blackfield traffic lights.

In a statement, Mr Ritchie's family said: "Steven was the most wonderful son, brother, grandson, uncle, nephew, cousin and friend. All his family are extremely proud of what he had achieved in his short life. Steven was loved greatly by all who knew him and he in turn loved his family. We are all shocked and saddened by the tragic loss of a fabulous young man and in our hearts he will live forever. He may be gone but he will never ever be forgotten."

Councillor Alexis McEvoy has lived on Lepe Road for more than 25 years and fears that accidents will continue to happen if drivers do not take extra care.

She said: "It is a fairly dangerous bend. I cannot really see that there is anything the highways agency could do to make it any safer.

"Straightening the bends would just encourage people to increase their speed."

Anyone with any information about either crash should contact police on 0845 045 45 45 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.