THEY were pals who played together in school - tragically they became friends who died together.

Joel Corner and Daniel Wright were only 15 when they took an Audi A4 for a drive. It veered out of control on Stockton Lane, York, and smashed into an Evening Press van driven by popular Peter Alexander, of Dringhouses, above left.

Joel, of York - who was behind the wheel - and Daniel, of Kexby Avenue, in the Heslington Road area, both went to Archbishop Holgate School.

Tearful teenage friends laid flowers at the scene throughout yesterday, as did relatives of Mr Alexander.

disbelief over youth at wheel

THE brother of the Evening Press van driver killed in the crash said he was still too shocked to take in the news that a 15-year-old had been driving the other vehicle.

The Evening Press told yesterday how Peter Alexander, 57, of Dringhouses, died when the delivery van he was driving collided with the silver Audi A4 in Stockton Lane.

Staff at the newspaper yesterday held a minute's silence in memory of their popular colleague.

Peter's brother David, pictured, 49, of Tang Hall said his family had been left "devastated" by their loss.

He said: "We are still so shocked by it all. It is just devastating.

"It's been a mixture of feelings since we heard that the driver was only 15. At first I thought it was harder knowing it was a 15-year-old, but then again, when you think it is an adult you think he should have known the dangers of driving, and how powerful his car is.

"I just don't know what to think. It's such a mixture of emotions.

"Some people want to blame the parents, and some don't. Other people have said you can't blame the parents for what their kids do.

"But there are so many people with so many opinions. I don't really know what to think to be honest.

"Personally I'm still too shocked. I don't think it's really sunk in yet. That is something that only time is going to take care of.

"I don't think knowing the driver was 15 makes it any harder or any easier to come to terms with.

"We are just lost and devastated and it's too hard to have any opinion on it."

He said some relatives had travelled up from Cheshire and had been to the scene of the crash to place flowers and tributes yesterday afternoon.

It is the second tragedy the Alexander family has faced in just two weeks.

Last week the Evening Press told how Peter's father, 83-year-old war hero Norman Alexander, had died just a few months after he was controversially moved out of his Acomb Gables home.

Norman died in David's arms at the elderly mental health unit, Cherry Tree House.

David, who also worked as a driver for the Evening Press for about seven years, led a campaign to keep the Acomb Gables facility open because he feared the change could kill his dad, who suffered from severe dementia.

Peter's family and friends gathered at the Crescent Club last night to pay their respects to their loved one.

grief for crash victims

TWO teenagers killed in a horrific head-on smash were 15-year-old friends Joel Corner and Daniel Wright.

Joel was driving an Audi A4 when it crashed into an Evening Press van driven by Peter Alexander, who was also killed in the tragedy in Stockton Lane, York.

Friends and neighbours were shocked at the awful loss of the "quiet, well-behaved boys" who were liked by all their peers.

Car mad Joel was said to love everything about mechanics and was always talking about motors.

The tragic pair, who were both army cadets, were killed instantly when the car lost control and crossed on to the wrong side of the road in front of the van in Thursday's lunchtime crash.

Daniel Wright, of Kexby Avenue, in the Heslington Road area, and Joel, whose address was withheld by police at the request of the family, both went to Archbishop Holgate's School, where they were popular with classmates.

Teenage friends gathered at the scene to lay flowers throughout yesterday with cards paying tribute to Joel, and Daniel, who was known by the nickname Spud.

One read: "I'll never forget you Rambo," as if to pay tribute to the boys' time with the army cadets.

Friends taking part in a football match on fields owned by St John's College in Hull Road yesterday held a one minute's silence for the boys.

Pals said Joel was obsessed with cars and had always dreamed about being able to drive, even from being a little boy.

One 17-year-old girl, who did not want to be named, said: "When we were younger and used to play in the street, Joel would always want to play at driving.

"He loved reading about cars and collected little models. Then as we got older he was always talking about the type of car he would have one day.

"I heard about the crash on Thursday, but was so shocked when I heard it was Joel. He was just a nice ordinary lad and everyone will miss him."

Another friend, a 16-year-old girl, added: "It is a terrible thing to happen to people you know when they're so young.

"Everyone from school is really upset because they had loads of friends."

Tearful neighbours sent their heartfelt sympathies to the boys' grieving parents and said both families were well liked in their areas.

Daniel's mum, Julie, and dad, Steve, were said to be friendly and say hello to their neighbours and his little sister Georgina, seven, sometimes played with other local children.

One neighbour in the Wright family's well-kept street, which is full of young families, said: "Daniel was a nice quiet lad who would always say hello and was very polite.

"My granddaughter knows him and we would see him playing football in the street when he was younger.

"He always loved riding his bike up and down and we used to see him go off in his uniform on the way to army cadets."

Another neighbour Marjorie Linley, 69, said: "Daniel was a well behaved boy who was never any trouble and his mum Julie is a lovely woman.

"We are all so shocked and so sorry for all his family. He was only 15 and had his whole life ahead of him."

A neighbour in the Corner family's leafy street full of smart bungalows, said: "Joel was a nice quiet lad who loved cars. He was well behaved and people of all ages liked him.

"He came from such a nice family and his poor parents are devastated. We can't begin to imagine what they're all going through."

A North Yorkshire Police spokesman said Joel had been driving the car and Daniel had been his passenger.

He added: "Part of the police investigation into the cause of the accident involves ascertaining how the teenagers came into possession of the car."

He said inquests into all of the three deaths would be opened and adjourned on either Monday or Tuesday.

A spokesman for York Army cadets said: "We've only just heard about the tragedy and are very upset by it so we can't say anything at this stage."

Archbishop to pray for victims

The Archbishop of York, John Sentamu, is chairman of the board of governors at the Archbishop Holgate's School where Joel and Daniel were pupils.

His spokesman John Barton said the archbishop was out of the country and would be shocked and devastated when he heard the news.

He said: "The archbishop will be devastated to hear this news, not least because Easter time is meant to be a time of rejoicing by Christians.

"When he returns, and I break this sad news to him, he will be praying for all the families concerned, and for whom he will have the most tender feelings.

"He has a great rapport with young people and although one person's death is no worse than another person's, the death of two 15-year-olds is terrible."

Updated: 09:48 Saturday, April 22, 2006