Flowers, football shirts and photos were left at the site of the horrific crash that killed two young people. Harry Atkinson, 20, and Lewis Mieson, 21, died when the off-road motorcycle they were riding crashed into a Ford Kuga on High Barn Street in Royton, Oldham on Good Friday.
After their deaths, there was a great outpouring of grief in the city. Dozens of tributes, including Manchester United shirts and photos of friends, were left on the corner of Cardigan Street.
Yesterday (Sunday), Lewis and Harry’s families paid tribute to their “precious” and “beloved” sons. Paying tribute to Harry, who worked as a plumber, his family said: “Words cannot describe how it feels to lose our youngest child, Harry – our son – in such a tragic way. Our hearts are broken.
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“Harry is a much loved son, brother, grandson, nephew, cousin, uncle and friend. His life and death will touch many people – especially those who love him very much. Harry was 20, a loving, kind and caring young man so full of life – happy in his work as a plumber with all his life in front of him.
“We want to thank all the first responders who tried to save the lives of Harry and his friend and supported the other people involved in the horrific incident. We thank the police for their kindness and compassion, and thank you for your kind words and support.
“Harry is precious to us, and as we try to come to terms with the harsh reality that he will not return home, we ask people to give us as a family a little solitude, time and space in grief in our own way.
Left: Harry Atkinson and Lewis Mieson (Image: GMP)
The family of 21-year-old Lewis said: “The family is completely devastated by the loss of our beloved Lewis. We are truly humbled by the outpouring of love and support from the community and from Lewis’ friends and family.
“This confirmed what we already knew; that he is loved and valued by all who know him. The family would like to thank everyone for the hundreds of kind, positive messages they received. We are so grateful and it brought a lot of comfort in this terrible time. “
The Royton couple were riding a yellow Suzuki off-road motorcycle when the crash happened just before 11 am. Their deaths are the subject of an ongoing investigation by the Greater Manchester Police Clashes Investigation Department.
Ambulance at the site of the incident in Royton (Image: Manchester Evening News)
The driver of the Ford remained on the scene and assisted the police in the investigation. No arrests have been made and GMP continues to appeal for information and camera footage.
Anyone with information should call GMP on 0161 856 4741, citing incident 1045 on 15.04.2022. Details can be passed anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
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