Tributes to first victim named after Croydon tram crash that killed seven people

A football fan described as a ‘friendly, genuine lad’ was among at least seven people killed when a tram derailed.

Dane Chinnery, 19, has been named as one of those who died in the morning rush hour incident in Croydon, south London, on Wednesday.
The driver of the tram is being questioned by police amid suggestions it failed to brake before taking a corner at speed.

Investigators said the vehicle was travelling at a ‘significantly higher speed than is permitted’ and are probing whether the driver had fallen asleep.

More than 50 people were injured when the tram left the track and flipped on its side.
PIC SHOWS;Aerial pictures of the Tram crash in Croydon Today where it is believed that people were killed.

Tom Dale, 20, was on the tram and recalled nodding over to his old school friend Mr Chinnery, who was already sitting on the tram when he boarded.
The pair, who went to Addington High School together and took part in performing arts, were on their way to work.

Mr Dale said that after the tram crashed he was looking for his friend, and asking, ‘Where’s Dane? Where’s Dane?’, but all he could see was Mr Chinnery’s boot where he had been sitting.

‘It was like walking out of a war zone,’ the chef said.

Mr Dale, who was badly bruised, said of Mr Chinnery: ‘He was just a friendly, genuine lad, did no harm to nobody really. No one deserves for this to happen to them.’