Friends hail ‘true gent’ killed after bus smash

TRIBUTES have been paid to a man who died three days after his car was involved in a crash with a bus.

Luke Coles, 21, was being treated in hospital following the collision on Old Dalkeith Road on Monday morning, but died of his injuries on Thursday.

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Mr Coles, right, a theatre worker from Scarborough, was driving his Fiat Punto when it collided with a single-decker First bus north of the junction with Newton Church Road.

Fire crews cut Mr Coles free from the wreckage and he was rushed to nearby Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.

A police spokesman said: “Inquiries have been ongoing to establish exactly what happened and we have spoken to numerous witnesses who were in the area at the time as a result.

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“Anyone else who may have been in the area and saw what happened, and has not spoken to police yet, should contact us on 101.”

Mr Coles worked as a rigger in production crews at theatres in Scarborough, as well as on touring productions.

It is believed he was working in Edinburgh at the time of the accident.

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Friend Phil Laycock, director of P&L Sound and Lighting, based in Scarborough, said: “He was just a really all-round nice, genuine guy. He was a true gentleman and would help anybody.

“He was popular, good fun and had a great sense of humour.

“He was a colleague and a great friend. It’s such a shock. He will be very sadly missed.

“He loved working in theatre. He just absolutely loved going to the shows and being a part of everything. As well as shows in Scarborough, he worked on a number of touring productions in cities such as London.”

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Last year, Mr Coles worked on the touring show of musical The King and I.

Mr Coles, a York College graduate, was a member of the Sea Cadets and in 2008 he received a special accolade for his volunteer work with Scarborough Disabled Swimming Group.

More than 100 tributes have been left on Mr Coles’ Facebook page.

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Andy Murrell wrote: “I don’t have the words right now to fully express my sadness. A truly wonderful person enjoying work and life to the full. What a tragedy.”

Simon Oliver wrote: “A fine young man who would have gone on to greatness. You will be missed.”

First Bus said it had launched a “full investigation to establish exactly what happened”, and was working closely with police.

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