A TOP west Wiltshire student was killed when the car he was travelling in flipped over and rolled three times across the road.

Oliver Davey, 17, a student at Warminster School until last year, had been enjoying an evening out with friends from Trowbridge and Steeple Ashton on Friday.

Just before 4am, as the four friends travelled in a new 16v black Renault Clio, the driver crashed on a right hand bend at Ashton Common.

Police believe the car hit the kerb, turned over, and rolled. Officers said the student was not wearing a seatbelt and was thrown out of the car. He died at the scene.

David Dowdles, headteacher at Warminster School, said the whole school was shocked to hear about what happened.

He said Oliver was an outstanding student who would have been given a scholarship had stayed on at the school for A-levels.

Mr Dowdles said: "He was a warm, friendly and happy person who was very popular with everyone, the pupils and staff alike.

"He will be greatly missed and many of my students are very upset to hear what has happened to someone so brilliant."

Known to his friends as Ollie, he had just finished his AS level exams at St John's School and Comm-unity College, Marlborough.

He was living with his mother, Jill Hibberd in Coate, near Devizes, but was planning to stay with friends in Trowbridge on Friday night.

His mother said she had been touched by the number of her son's friends who had made contact since his death, including one who was involved in the crash.

Mrs Hibberd said her son enjoyed life to the full. She said: "He will be remembered very much for his love of extreme sports, BMX riding and rollerblading. His greatest joy was being with his friends."

Police investigating the accident expressed their sympathy for the boys in the car who they said would never forget the incident.

Sergeant Craig Hardy said: "This was just horrendous, and sad luck, when we often have an accident like this and everyone steps out of the car fine."

Police arrested four people at the scene of the accident. Three were released without charge. A 19-year-old man was released on bail.