General Chat

Tributes were today paid to a teenager who died in an horrific accident on the A11 just hours after going out with friends to celebrate his 18th birthday.

Aaron Curtis, described by his friends as “a great guy who was always smiling”, was killed after falling from a lorry in what appears to have been a youthful prank that went horribly wrong.

He died after falling from a Mercedes lorry between the Thickthorn roundabout and the Ketteringham junction at Station Lane at 3.15am yesterday.

It is believed he had climbed on to the outside of the vehicle with another youth at the inner ring road near the junction with Unthank Road in Norwich.

Today, it emerged that the former City of Norwich School pupil, from Mancroft Walk, had been out celebrating his birthday with friends at the Lost Thursday event at the University of East Anglia hours before the tragedy.

The Norwich-born teenager, known as Azzy, was today described by friends as hugely popular and a big fan of music, regularly travelling to raves around the country and creating his own mixes as a DJ.

One of his friends, who did not want to be named, said: “He was a great guy, always smiling and cracking jokes, meaning there was never a dull moment when he was around and, as such, I'm blessed with so many brilliant memories of him. My heart goes out to his family, of whom he always spoke with great affection and loyalty.”


Friends described Aaron as 'a great guy who was always smiling'.
Another friend said: “He had so many friends and we used to go to raves all over the country. He was a bit of a celebrity in his own right in those circles.

“He was out at the University of East Anglia the night before this happened and at the end of the night he still didn't want to go home. He was that sort of person - he was the one who would want to be going for a three-day rave.”

On his MySpace and Facebook sites, people who just days ago had been sending Aaron happy birthday messages were leaving heartfelt tributes.

One mourner wrote: “RIP mate u will be greatly missed and u will always be in our hearts” while another wrote “I'm gonna miss you man, you and your crazy sense of humour and joie de vivre. RIP.”

Officers are keen to speak to anybody who saw what happened and are also looking for a third man they think was in the Unthank Road area at the time.

The other young male involved and the driver of the vehicle, a 59-year-old man from the Aylsham area, were both uninjured.

The southbound A11 was closed until 8.30am yesterday morning and drivers were diverted along the B1172 until the lorry involved was removed from the road.

Insp Darren Peacock, from the Wymondham Road Policing unit, said: “It's far too early to say whether it was a prank or not. All we know at this moment in time is that he fell. This is very sad and highlights the dangers of messing with lorries.

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This is my neck of the woods.

What a waste of a young life, silly lad. I suppose alcohol played a part as well as his zest for life and excitement at being 18.

I feel so sorry for his friends and family.
Rest in peace, Aaron.

Lizx

That poor lorry driver.

I know, he must have been in bits and the other lad too, especially if maybe he put him up to it in the first place.

One silly choice was the wrong choice....

Such a waste and so awful for his family and friends

If it was a prank then he was a prat, and if his friends were part of it they should be brought up for manslaughter.

The Lorry driver is the one who should get the sympathy.

The lorry driver has to live with that for ever, and not his fault from the sound of it, Most unfair.

Condolences to his poor family and God knows hoat poor lorry driver must be feeling.
Thoughts also to his friends who witnessed this tragic accident.

R.I.P. and also pray for the Lorry driver, who must be devestated. XX..

My thoughts are with the family, especially the Lorry driver, poor, poor man,

Caz xxx

The poor lorry driver. What a waste of a young life!
There were two inquests of young teenagers in our paper this week both killed through the effects of alcohol in two separate incidents.

Ann
Glos

Oh, Liz, how many lives have been ruined by a youthful idiotic mistake .....

I work with someone who knows the family of this young lad. She was devastated by the news yesterday and I have to admit I have been affected by the awful details of this tragedy too.

I can't begin to imagine how his family must be feeling, but will pray for them to find the strength to deal with the coming days.

Frances

I quite agree it was a stupid thing to do and I feel very sorry for the driver of the lorry who was in no way to blame, just unlucky it was his truck passing at the time they jumped on, but it is still really sad. We all must have done daft things in our lives, especially when young, but luckily most people live to tell the tale. I bet many of us don't know everything our youngsters get/got up to when they are out and about.

Lizx