'Heartbroken' mum pays tribute to 'wonderful' son Leo who died with two women in A44 crash in Worcestershire

A mum whose child died in a horror crash along with two women outside his school in Worcestershire last week, has spoken of her heartbreak, saying how much she looked forward to living with him again. Six-year-old Leo Painter died when the Ford Mondeo he was in was hit by a grey BMW 3 series at 3.07pm on Thursday (February 22) on the A44 in Spetchley.

Leo, who had been in foster care, was travelling with a female driver and a woman accompanying Leo. Both women were pronounced dead at the scene. Leo was rushed to Worcestershire Royal Hospital but died a short time later.

On Monday (February 26), Leo's mum Gemma, laid flowers at the scene of the crash and paid a moving tribute to her son. She said: “Leo was a wonderful little boy. He always had a smile on his face and was a bundle of fun. I’m heartbroken that I won’t see him again.”

Gemma said it was hoped Leo would return to live with her full time by the end of the year. She added: “The last time I saw Leo was before Christmas. His birthday was on Christmas Eve so I gave him his presents. He loved PAW Patrol and I gave him a pair of pyjamas with his favourite characters on. He said he loved wearing ‘Mummy’s pyjamas’.

“Leo had been in foster care but the hope was that he would come and live me again full time by this December. I was really excited about getting my boy back home.”

Gemma discovered the tragic news when she received a phone call last Thursday telling her to go to the hospital. Leo had just come out of Abigail’s Place school, which is opposite Spetchley Park Gardens, when the crash happened.

Gemma said: “I was told that Leo had been picked up from school by a taxi and was in the car with the driver and his chaperone and was about to go back to his foster family. Apparently the car was stationary when it was hit by another car and it was sent across the road into the railings.

“Leo was given advanced life support at the scene and was taken to hospital but he died soon afterwards. I’m so numb. I was really looking forward to him living with me again. The road has a 30mph limit but it’s known for people speeding. I don’t know who the men were but I was told they were in their 20s.”

The two men from the BMW 3 series were taken to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham. One suffered life-threatening injuries, while the other had potentially life-threatening injuries. West Mercia Police said despite efforts from paramedics both women, aged 39 and 26, were pronounced dead at the scene.

Chief Inspector Mark Davidson said: “This is an incredibly sad incident, and our thoughts are with the family and friends of the people who have sadly died. I urge anybody who witnessed the collision or may have dash-cam footage to contact the police as you may be able to help with our investigation into what happened.”