A lorry driver who died after his vehicle crashed into a row of parked cars has been described as the “life and soul of the party” by his devastated wife.

Roger Smith, 52, from Ashford, died after the accident in Brighton.

Sylvia, his wife of 27 years, said she had been “overwhelmed” by phone messages, letters and cards of sympathy since his death last Thursday.

Mrs Smith, 71, said: “He had so many friends and people that loved him.”

Mr Smith, of Eastmead Avenue, worked for Lenham Storage where his bosses this week described him as an “exemplary employee”.

He was making deliveries in his lorry when it collided with a camper van and several cars. It is understood he suffered a major heart attack at the wheel.

Mrs Smith said he would be remembered forever by her three children, seven grandchildren and five great-grandchildren as "great fun".

She added: "My friend dragged me to a singles club at the County Hotel in Ashford and I remember being reluctant to go. We met and it went from there.

"We realised we had the same sense of humour and he was great fun to be with. We had similar tastes and liked going for walks and going on trips and over the years we went to different places like China where we saw the Great Wall and the Terracotta Soldiers."

Mrs Smith, who married Roger at Ashford register office in 1985, added: "He had his serious side, too. I remember he used to worry that he wasn’t popular or didn’t have enough friends, but he did. I’ve been overwhelmed by letters and cards sent to me. He had so many friends and people that loved him.

"We went into Lenham Storage and we were only going to pop in for five minutes but we were taken into the boardroom and the managers and the staff told us about all the calls they’d received from people he’d delivered to, they were all so shocked.

"They said Roger was always so helpful and how much the people he delivered to liked seeing him. But that was Roger, whatever he did he wanted to do his best, and to do his best for everyone."

Mr Smith was born in Dover and later moved with his family to Kingsnorth.

He worked as a butcher in Sainsbury’s and Tesco and also ran a car breakers in Gas Works Lane, Ashford, as well as Tippings Garage in Hamstreet.

The accident happened on Queen’s Park Road, Brighton, at 11.30am when he became ill and his lorry collided with a camper van and several cars.

He was taken to the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton for treatment but died soon after.

A statement from Mr Smith’s colleagues at Lenham Storage said: "We are saddened by the tragic death of Roger who worked for us for the past three years and had worked for us before that prior to 2001.

"He was an exemplary employee and was well liked among his peers. Our deepest condolences go out to Roger’s family."

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