ONE of the best friends of a 20-year-old man who tragically died last Tuesday said he was looking forward to starting his nurse training in September.

Stephen Morgan described Benjamin Cuthbert, of Cinderford, who died while driving home from work towards Mitcheldean on the A4136 at Plump Hill, as a 'very loving and caring guy'.

Less than 24 hours later a 54-year-old woman, named locally as Nicola Lee, was killed in a freak accident on Bream Avenue, near Lydney.

It's believed she was hit while getting into a Volkswagon Transporter with another woman following a collision between a Ford Focus and a Ford estate.

She was airlifted to Southmead Hospital where she later died, the second woman and two drivers sustained non-life threatening injuries. Anybody with any information should call 101 quoting incident number 179 of July 15.

Mr Cuthbert was driving a blue Honda Jazz when it collided with a silver Vauxhall Zafira being driven in the opposite direction by a 43-year-old Huntley woman. He died at the scene at 10.50pm.

Stephen said: "Ben and I planned the day before to go bowling on the night he died. Ben was finishing work for 8pm and we were picking him up around 8.30pm. He was very excited about coming. Sadly he didn't turn up at his house – we thought he was working late so went on without him.

"On our way we saw that the road was closed and this gave me a very nervous feeling inside, like something was wrong. Later after making several enquiries with hospitals, his work, and the police we received the phone call from his mum telling us the awful news.

"Ben was a fantastic character, a cheeky chappy, a very loving, caring guy and didn't really have a bad bone in his body. He was looking forward to starting his nurse training this September, he would have made a cracking nurse.

"I met Ben through playing pool in the Forest of Dean Pool League around four years ago. He played for our rivals, the former White Horse in Mitcheldean at the time, and over the years we became close friends. He started playing for my pool team nearly a year or so ago.

"He was a very talented young man, a good snooker and pool player, loved his football and supported his favourite Chelsea blues. He was a cracking singer too, going to a few X Factor auditions and just falling short of the judges' stage.

"I am going to miss Ben so much and I'm sure I can speak for all his other friends and family. Rest in peace my friend."

Anybody who witnessed the accident or has any information should call Gloucestershire Police on 101 quoting 486 of July 14.