Family lead tributes to daughter killed in Astley crash

A trainee teacher who died in a crash has been described as "wonderful" and "compassionate" by her father.

Charlotte Hope was driving a Volkswagen Polo when it was in collision with a BMW on the A53 at Astley, near Shrewsbury at about 16:15 BST on 9 April.

Her mother was also seriously hurt and is now "recovering physically" in hospital, her husband Neil Hope said.

He said his daughter always put others "before herself".

The 19-year-old had volunteered for the charity Restart in Kenya, which helps abandoned children found on the street.

Writing on Facebook, the charity described Miss Hope as an "inspiration".

It said she "left a positive impression on everyone she met" and inspired "young people in Shropshire".

The former Thomas Adams School pupil, from Shawbury, was in her second year of training to become a primary school teacher at Edge Hill University.

Her father, Wing Cdr Neil Hope said "all she wanted to do was be a primary school teacher."

"That is all she ever wanted to do and be in Kenya, so she could continue to volunteer."

"She was everything you would want from a daughter," he told the Shropshire Star.

"She just cared for others to the point where at times it frustrated me. She would put people before herself, it was just the way she was," he added.

In February 2022, the 19-year-old volunteered for Restart, where she distributed donated football kits to schools and charity organisations, as part of an RAF appeal, Taking Football to Africa and beyond.

The appeal was set up by her father and ran through the RAF Football Association and RAF Shawbury.

Miss Hope was also a voluntary member of the Shropshire Football Association's Youth Council and helped "develop a lasting legacy in football in Shropshire," the organisation said.

A 33-year-old man was arrested in connection with the collision and has now been released on police bail.

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