M18 crash tragedy man was dad of two

Simon Blessed, aged 42, leaves an ex-wife and two boys aged about 10 and 11 who live in the south of England.

Mr Blessed, of Monkspring, Worsbrough, Barnsley, was killed by a car after running across the southbound carriageway of the M18 after a crash on Thursday morning.

His camper van had collided with a lorry and a car and turned over on the northbound carriageway moments earlier.

Neighbour Maria Pickersgill, aged 41, said Mr Blessed had lived on the street for about six months.

She said: “I can’t understand why he ran across the carriageway. It’s a mystery, it doesn’t seem normal.

“It is so sad, he was a happy chap who would talk to anyone and his kids were lovely. He had them up for two weeks in the summer holidays and they would play football in the back garden.

“He had had a rough time, he was off work sick for a while and the council had to have a word with him about his garden.

“But he got himself back together and even bought a scythe to cut the grass.”

Mr Blessed was in his Mercedes Sprinter van when it collided with a lorry. The van ended up on its side after it also hit a VW Beetle.

He is believed to have got out and jumped over the central reservation before being hit by an Astra van on the southbound carriageway.

The lorry driver, a 44-year-old man from Retford, Notts, is being treated for spinal injuries at Doncaster Royal Infirmary.

Police have appealed for anyone with information about the incident, at 5.05am on Thursday, to contact them on 0114 220 2970.