Yorkshire cricketer killed in motorway crash tragedy in New Zealand

A British cricketer from Yorkshire has been killed in a road accident in New Zealand.

Jamie Spence, 28, died on April 29 following a collision between two vehicles on State Highway 1 in the North Island.

A French national, Raphael Jean-Gabriel Roellinger, 22, also lost his life in the same incident.

The fatal collision happened when a vehicle attempted an overtaking manoeuvre and narrowly missed a truck and trailer unit at Tar Hill near Kinleith, in the central part of the island.

Spence's cricket club in Hull, Hull Strikers, has since paid tribute to their player, describing his love for the sport as something that "brought life" to the team.

The side described Spence as "our youngest, yet one of the most energetic, fun-loving, and passionate souls on and off the field" and said he "left a void that can never truly be filled".

"This victory is for you," the team wrote.

"There is no better tribute than giving everything out there, just like you always did.

"You'll always be a part of this team."

Hull's Bengal Brothers Social Club also released a statement following the 28-year-old's tragic death.

"The Bengal Brothers Social Club joins in mourning this heartbreaking loss," they wrote.

"His warmth, humility, and genuine nature touched many lives, and his absence will be felt far beyond the boundary ropes.

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"In moments like these, words fall short, but memories of his laughter, dedication, and friendship will remain forever."

The club said Spence's dedication to cricket made him a key figure within the Strikers squad.

It follows the tragic road death of another Briton - the teenage daughter of a building tycoon - in a horror motorbike accident in Vietnam.

Orla Wates, the daughter of Wates director Andrew Wates, was a passenger on a motorbike travelling along the Ha Giang Loop when the driver lost control of the vehicle.

The 19-year-old was thrown from the bike and subsequently hit by a truck driving in the opposite direction.

Emergency services rushed her to the Viet Duc Friendship Hospital, where she later died from her injuries on April 2.

An investigation into the circumstances of the crash is ongoing.

The young woman had been on a gap year before she was due to begin studying at Durham University.

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