Jason, right, with Daniel, left and MatthewTRIBUTES have been paid to Devizes man Jason Rawlings who died in a car crash last Friday.

Mr Rawlings, who was 22 and of Bath Road, is thought to have been a passenger in a Ford Mondeo car which left the A365 between Bowerhill and Redstocks, Melksham, and collided with a telegraph pole and bus stop before coming to rest on its side in a garden shortly after 1am.

Mr Rawlings was certified dead at the scene.

Mr Rawlings was a labourer and had lived in Devizes for over six years.

He lived with his mother, Kim Heath, and stepfather Colin Heath, and two younger brothers, Matthew, 20, and Daniel, 17.

His father, Stan Rawlings, who is remarried, lives at Lackham Park, Lacock, near Chippenham.

Mr and Mrs Heath said the whole family was devastated at Jason's death.

Mrs Heath, 43, said: "Jason loved his family. He and his brothers were a unit. He was so proud to be part of his brothers.

"Jason was a very gentle person and he was the sunshine in my heart."

"Jason was very close to his father and he lived with each of us for periods of time. He was close to his stepmother, Louise, and stepsister Hollie.

"He worked as a labourer and enjoyed being outside. Outside of work he enjoyed being with his friends and going out for a night out."

Mrs Heath said Jason loved to play in the snow when he was a child and even as an adult he would be excited if it snowed.

She said: "When they were young Jason woke his brothers up in the early hours of the morning to tell them it was snowing. He loved it when it snowed."

Mr Heath, 39, said: "We are distraught and empty and we feel very hollow without Jason. We feel we have lost a part of us. Jason was quite a straight forward lad, a no frills sort of chap."

Mr Rawlings' best friend Michael Keeling, 22, a builder of Seend, said: "I have known Jason since we were nine months old. We were at the same schools and he worked for me for the last four years.

"Jason was a kind hearted person and wouldn't harm anyone. He loved going out for a beer with his friends. He was a popular lad.

"I'm going to miss him an awful lot. He was always there for me if I had a problem and I was always there for him if he had a problem. He was the most loyal person I know."

Another close friend Paul Martin, 26, a builder of Devizes, said: "Jason was due to work for me on Friday and I got a telephone call later in the day to say he had died.

"It's a damn shame and I'm sad to see him gone. Jason was a good friend.He was always smiling and he was a lovely person. Some people spend all of their lives trying to be happy but Jason was always happy. He loved life. He could have just £5 in his pocket and he would be as happy as Larry."

Mr Rawlings lived in Wiltshire all his life. He was born at Princess Margaret Hospital, Swindon and for the first year of his life lived in Marlborough with his parents.

They moved to Lackham Agricultural College at Lacock when his father got a job there as a gardener.

l A 21-year-old man from Devizes was arrested at the Royal United Hospital, Bath, on Friday on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving.