A TEENAGER killed in a horrific car smash had become a father only two months ago, his devastated parents revealed today.

Drax Power Station worker Wayne Gardner, 19, was said to be enjoying life as a dad to his son, Kyle, when he died in the Easter Sunday crash.

His close friend, Jonathan Stead, 20, also died when he lost control of his red Vauxhall Astra on a bend on the A63 near Hambleton. Both were thrown from the car, which landed in a field.

Today Wayne's heartbroken parents, Tom and Chris Gardner, said they would never come to terms with the loss of their eldest son.

Speaking at her home, in Meadow Drive, Thorpe Willoughby, Mrs Gardner, 37, said: "It hasn't really sunk in yet.

"We keep expecting him to walk through the door or to hear his beloved Vauxhall Nova pull up outside.

"We're all devastated - you don't expect your children to go before you."

Mrs Gardner, a team leader at Cliffe pre-school, added: "It came as a bit of a shock to Wayne when he knew he was going to be a father, but in the last few weeks he was really starting to enjoy being a dad. "Lots of his friends have been walking to the accident scene to leave flowers - that's how popular he was."

She said that Wayne - an apprentice technician at Drax and a former Barlby High School pupil - had been to a car "cruise" in Pontefract on the night of the crash.

Fate conspired when Wayne went to Pontefract in another friend's car, but came back home in Jonathan's Astra.

Mrs Gardner said: "If he was going to go, that's the way he would have wanted to go.

"All his money went on his car - it was his pride and joy."

Mr Gardner, 38, a chargehand fitter at Riccall Mine, said Wayne's other passion in life had been football.

He played with his brother Mark, 18, for Thorpe United and had had trials for several league clubs, including Barnsley, Hull and Grimsby.

The funerals of both Wayne and Jonathan will be held next week at St Wilfrid's Church, Brayton.

Updated: 15:14 Wednesday, April 03, 2002