TRIBUTES have been paid to a 24 year-old "big friendly giant" who was killed following a road smash in Sedgley.

Daniel Eales, from Gornal, was killed when the Honda Civic car he was travelling in with his friends, collided with a bollard on Tipton Road at around 10.15pm on April 8.

Despite resuscitation attempts carried out on the scene by paramedics and on-route to Russells Hall Hospital, Daniel, who was in cardiac arrest, was pronounced dead shortly after arriving.

Two further young men and a woman, were left seriously injured with varying injuries to their heads, faces, legs, and were also taken to hospital, where one of the men, a 22 year-old remains in a critical condition after being transferred to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham.

Police arrested two men at the scene from a second vehicle on suspicion of dangerous driving. They have been released on bail pending further investigations.

Friends of Daniel organised a memorial event in Flood Street car park in his honour on Sunday night, where they let off chinese lanterns into the night sky and held a minute silence at 9pm, before taking a convoy of cars to the crash scene to lay flowers and leave a white sheet signed by his loved ones.

Paying tribute to her boyfriend, Daniel's girlfriend, Emma Kettley, from Woodside, said: "Daniel was the love of my life, we had so much in common and we both were just meant to be. He was known as the 'the bfg' and nobody ever had a bad word to say about him."

The couple, who had been together since November met after Daniel moved to the borough from Tamworth to start a new life.

A fan of cars, Daniel loved his white Ford Focus, which he shared with Emma, who said they had "loads planned in our life together".

A tribute facebook page has also been set up online, with friends posting messages in tribute to their friend.

Posting messages on Memories Of Daniel Eales RIP, Jade Collins wrote: "A sound lad who loved life and lived it to the max. Goodnite mate. Rest in peace. Xxxxx"

Laura Franchesca said: "Rip big man........... u will never be forgotten... sleep tight till were all up there to party once more xxxxxxxxx"

While Dom MTwo Hopkinz posted: "Can't even find the words to describe the loss of such a brilliant lad! Your gonna be missed by a hell of a lot of people!. Will always remember you mucka!! Absolutely devastated. May god be with you dude. X"

Police are urging anybody who witnessed the incident to contact the Collision Investigation Unit on 0345 113 5000