A POPULAR member of the traveller community has died after his car hit a tree on a quiet country road in the early hours of the morning.

Police were called to Collins Lane in Purton just after 3.30am yesterday where they found a white Ford Fiesta van had veered off the narrow road.

South Western Ambulance Service sent several paramedics, but the 22-year-old man was pronounced dead at the scene.

He has been named on social media as father-of-two Kane Jones of Calcutt Park, Cricklade. However, formal identification is yet to take place.

Close friend Cliio Price, 22, who lives in Chippenham, said: “He was such a lovely man who would do anything and I’m truly broken to know he’s left us how he has.

“He had done very silly things in the past, but knew he had to pull himself together and just when he has this has happened.”

Another friend, Hannah, 22, who knew Kane when she used to live in Royal Wootton Bassett, described him as someone who was “full of life and always such a good laugh.”

She said: “It’s such a shame to see someone so young, with so much going for him, to be gone so soon.”

Officers were alerted to the crash by a member of the public, but it is not clear when the collision happened.

The road was closed between Station Road and the B4553 for several hours while police carried out investigations. They are also appealing for witnesses or anyone with information to call 101.

A spokesman said: “Police are investigating a single vehicle road traffic collision on Collins Lane, Purton which occurred sometime before 3.30am on Tuesday, June 14.

“A white Ford Fiesta van had been travelling west along Collins Lane towards Purton. The vehicle has left the road on the offside and collided with a tree.

“As a result of the collision, the driver of the Fiesta – a male aged 22 years old from the Swindon area – sustained multiple injuries and was pronounced deceased at the scene.”

Ray Thomas, chairman of Purton Parish Council, said that area is not known to be an accident blackspot.

However concerns have previously been raised about cars driving down the lane too fast.

He said: “How it happened we do not know. It is a single track road and connects the B4553 with Station Road, we’ve got the level crossing but it’s not really a widely used road.

“It is a very strange place to have an accident that bad.”

Coun Thomas added that everyone in the village is thinking of the man’s family, particularly as it comes just four days after the first anniversary of the death of Daniel Climance. The 11-year-old was killed last year after his bike was in collision with a road sweeper in Station Road on Wednesday, June 10.

“We had the awful accident last year and it does tend to bring it back, but obviously this is entirely different,” Coun Thomas said.