Eight balloons were released, one for each of the crash victims

A BMW crashed through the central reservation of the A23 at Pyecombe, near Brighton, into the path of oncoming cars on 16 May 2004.

The youngest of the eight victims was two-year-old Marcus Mohabir.

His father Stephen, the only survivor, said campaigning for road safety had helped him to cope with the trauma.

Eight white balloons were released at 1630 BST, the time of the collision.

The way I've looked at it is that if I can cope and get through it and promote road safety, that's the way I'm going to cope Survivor Steven Mohabir

Ambulance service workers described the crash as one of the most horrific they had seen, and witnesses were offered counselling.

Five people in the BMW, all aged between 17 and 20, died in the collision.

They were Aaron Sharpe, 20, Mitch Treliving, 19, Katherine Sharpe, 18, Danielle Billingham 17, and Gemma Smoker, 17, all from the Crawley area.

Mr Mohabir, 36, and Marcus were in a Land Rover Freelander hit by the BMW, along with friends of the family Toby and Kate Beasley, who were also killed.

Steven Mohabir was the only survivor in the vehicle he was in

Mr Mohabir suffered a broken leg and elbow and internal injuries. His his wife Tracy, 39, was at a wedding and was not involved in the crash.

Monday's ceremony saw Mr Mohabir return to the scene of the crash for the first time.

He said: "The best way I can cope is that I've got friends and family supporting me all the way.

"The way I've looked at it is that if I can cope and get through it and promote road safety, that's the way I'm going to cope.

"For me it's perhaps more of a quest now."

Gloria Marshall, whose children Aaron and Katherine Sharpe died in the BMW, said: "When I let go of the balloons, the whole purpose for me was to let go of Aaron and Katherine.

"I recognise they need to move on just as much as we need to move on and it's quite a symbolic way of doing it, letting those balloons go."