Heartbroken family’s tribute to ‘loyal’ son killed in A65 crash

The family of a man who died in a car crash on the A65 have now paid tribute to him.

Richard Sunter, from Horton in Ribblesdale, died in a crash on the A65 near Ingleton, on the morning of Saturday, October 7. Now his family have released a tribute to the "much-loved" 39-year-old man.

A black Ford Ranger and a white Iveco lorry crashed on the road at around 7.15am. At the time, the driver of the lorry, a man in his 40s, was arrested in connection with the incident.^[1]

In a statement, Richard's family said: "Richard was a wonderful, much-loved son, brother and uncle, but was also our friend. He was loyal and strong, and always there to help any of us.

"He was devoted to his close-knit family, both immediate and extended, and loved to spend time in Dent with his cousins. Richard had a wicked sense of humour and liked to wind us all up, but this was reserved for those he loved and was close to. His loss has left such a huge void in our lives.

"Born and raised in Horton in Ribblesdale, Richard never left the house he moved into as a baby. As a result, he was well-known and respected in the village and beyond, in particular within the haulage and farming communities.

"Leaving school at 16, he went to Newton Rigg college and went into farming. Several years later he changed occupation and became a wagon driver, working alongside his dad in the family business.

"However, he never lost his love of farming and in his spare time he started to build his own flock of sheep. Sadly, it was whilst travelling to buy a tup, that he lost his life.

"In his earlier years, Richard enjoyed sport: playing football, cricket, and rugby for North Ribblesdale, where a minute’s silence was held in his memory at both the ladies’ and men’s games.

"Two close friends have paid tribute and said: 'He was loyal and dependable. He would drop everything immediately to help a friend in need. He helped shape our lives. We wouldn’t be who we are today or know the groups of people we know without him. He was a 'hub', for want of a better word. He took us places, introduced us and brought us all together. We travelled, we shared, we just always had great times and adventures with him and met so many people on the way. Owe him so much.'"

The police are continuing their investigation into the crash and are asking anyone who can assist with their investigation to get in touch with the Major Collision Investigation Team. You can contact the by email here^[3] quoting reference NYP-07102023-0090.

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References

1. ^{^} a man in his 40s, was arrested in connection with the incident. (www.examinerlive.co.uk)
2. ^{^} Inside the abandoned 1800s railway tunnel near Huddersfield where 10 men died and one lost his foot (www.examinerlive.co.uk)
3. ^{^} email here (northyorkshire.police.uk)
4. ^{^} by clicking here (chat.whatsapp.com)
5. ^{^} Read our privacy notice here (www.reachplc.com)