The fiancee of a Hounslow coach builder killed after being thrown from his car in a smash has described him as "the love of my life”.

Craig Buckley and a friend were travelling along the A30 towards Egham when their silver Vauxhall Astra careered off the road. The 28-year-old died later in hospital while his passenger was left with minor injuries.

His partner of five years, Serena Bennett, 27, who described Craig as her “soulmate”, said: “He was a wonderful person, generous and loyal and would do anything to help anyone.

“He was like a father to my daughter Phoebe. It takes a real man to take on someone else’s child and he did that. We were a family together.

“On the night he died he said he had to go and meet a friend and I told him he should stay and lay the grass, like we had decided, but I turned around and he had gone.

Richmond and Twickenham Times: Heartbroken: Craig Buckley with step daughter Pheobe and fiancee Serena Bennett
Family: Serena Bennett with her daughter Phoebe and Craig.

“I texted him a message calling him ‘lazy’ and the next thing I knew there was a knock on the door at 10pm saying Craig had been in an accident and hadn’t made it.

“I just collapsed screaming on the floor. I had his dinner on the table waiting for him. If only I had put my foot down and told him to stay. Now I am never ever going to see him again.”

Miss Bennett spoke of her heartbreak as police renenwed their appeal for witnesses to the crash on August 16.

Richmond and Twickenham Times: Heartbreak of crash victim's fiancee
Police have renewed their appeal for witnesses following the crash which killed Craig Buckley.

She said Craig had been so excited about proposing when the couple went on holiday, he couldn’t wait until he got to the hotel and got down on one knee at Lanzarote airport.

The mum, of Octavia Road, Isleworth, said: “It was so embarrassing, everyone was staring and saying ‘ahhh’ and Phoebe was laughing. It was just perfect and we were so happy. We were never apart and although he has been gone four weeks and people say it is still fresh for me it feels like a lifetime.

“We were apart maybe one night a week and this feels like it has been forever. I know it sounds silly but I keep checking my phone for a text from him, I find myself just looking at my phone waiting.

“He was the love of my life, he always said he couldn’t live without me and now I am faced with a life without him. He said he never knew love until he met me and I felt the same.

“When I saw him lying on the hospital bed I just screamed and my heart died there and then. A part of me died with him, no one will ever replace Craig.”

If you have information about the crash, which happened at 7pm, call Surrey Police collision investigation unit on 01483 639922.