Tributes have been paid to a young dad whose car crashed into a roundabout before coming to a precarious halt by an underpass.

A 21-year-old man, named as Sean Pittom, of Basildon, died at the scene of the crash at about 3am on Saturday.

Firefighters and police officers were called to the A132 South Mayne, Pitsea, at about 3.15am, after a black VW Golf collided with the roundabout and left the road.

Fire crews found the vehicle in a precarious position close to the underpass and made it safe.

Touching tributes have been paid to Mr Pittom, who has a one-year-old daughter and whose own mum died of cancer about six weeks ago.

Zoe Ball, whose partner Scott is Sean’s dad, said Sean was loved by everyone he met.

She said: “He was always happy and would help anybody. He loved his little girl Maya, she was his absolute treasure.

“My daughter Jasmine loved him and all of her friends loved him. I have never heard anyone say a bad word about him.”

Sean also leaves a brother, Warren.

Best friend Jay Cogger, 24, of Roodegate, Basildon, said he enjoyed seeing his friends and was a real “family person”, who was looking forward to settling down.

He said: “I saw him every day for about three years.

“He was always happy and always up for a laugh. He was always there whenever I needed him. He was a very supportive and positive person. He saw his little girl on and off. He thought the world of her. It’s devastating.”

Lewis Greenhill, who lives in the flats opposite the roundabout, said the crash woke him and his wife up.

He said: “It was really loud. “I thought it was a lorry that had overturned as the sound was similar to the lorry that went over there last year.

“When the ambulance arrived, I saw two people run up the hill begging the ambulance crew to help someone.

“Within minutes, more paramedics and police were on site and running to help.
“We saw one ambulance turn up, two paramedic cars, about four or five police cars and three fire engines.”

The road was closed until 7.30am while police carried out initial investigations.

Any witnesses can contact Essex Police on 101 ore mail collisionappeal@ essex.pnn.police.uk.