Firefighter killed in tragic road traffic collision

A 31-year-old Staffordshire firefighter who died following a collision in Newhaven has been named as Alex Taylor. Mr Taylor, who was from Penkridge, Stafford, and was off-duty at the time of the incident, was riding a Suzuki GSXR motorcycle towards Buxton on the A515 at Newhaven when he collided with a Skoda Octavia and a Nissan Navara. He received serious injuries as a result of the collision, which occurred at 11.55am on Tuesday, March 5, and tragically died at the scene. Our thoughts are with his family, friends and colleagues at this time. Rob Barber, Deputy Chief Fire Officer for Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS), said: “We are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of our firefighter Alex Taylor and we offer our heartfelt condolences to his loved ones. “Our thoughts first and foremost are with Alex’s family and friends during this incredibly difficult time but we are also thinking of his colleagues and friends within SFRS. “Alex joined the Service in 2010 and during his career he spent time at Penkridge, Leek and Hanley, but most recently worked at Tamworth. “We understand this awful news will have come as a devastating shock to all those who knew him within the Service and we are offering them welfare support at this difficult time.” A police investigation into the cause of the collision is underway and officers are appealing for anyone who was in the area at the time to contact Derbyshire police as a matter of urgency. In particular drivers or riders with dashcam footage that may have captured a blue Suzuki GSXR 600 and a Honda CBR 600 riding together prior to the incident are asked to ring the 101 non-emergency number quoting reference 19*114102.