Nearly £50,000 donated to crash victims' families

A man who survived a crash that killed three of his friends has a "long, uncertain and incredibly difficult journey" ahead of him, according to a fundraiser.

Corey Graham and Cassius Bryant, both 22, died when their Ford Fiesta was involved in a collision on Keighley Road in Illingworth, Halifax. The third victim, 21, has not been named.

The surviving occupant of the car, named as Spencer, also 21, is now in a critical but stable condition in hospital.

Two fundraising pages, one for the families of the deceased and one for Spencer, have collected nearly £50,000 in donations.

West Yorkshire Police said a BMW was also involved in the collision on Wednesday evening, as was a parked Renault Clio.

The force later said a fourth vehicle, not directly involved in the crash, was also in the area at the time.

Two men, aged 37 and 26, were both arrested and later released pending further enquiries.

Two women, 32 and 18, are no longer under arrest after being detained at the scene.

The Justgiving appeal for Spencer, set up by Andrew Raby with a £20,000 target, described him as having suffered "catastrophic" injuries that have left him fighting for his life.

He added that the young men in the car were the "closest of friends".

The fundraiser said: "Only days ago Spencer was a fit, healthy young man with his whole life ahead of him.

"The emotional impact of this tragedy is overwhelming. Alongside the fear and heartbreak comes the reality of sudden financial pressure, time away from work and the challenges that lie ahead. These funds will help ensure that Spencer's family can remain by his side during this critical time without the added worry of work commitments, bills and the potential long-term costs of his recovery and rehabilitation."

Raby added that any additional donations beyond the target figure would go to the Yorkshire Air Ambulance charity.

A Gofundme for the families of the three men who died has raised more than £39,000 towards its £50,000 goal.

Its organiser, Brooke Sunderland, said: "As you can imagine their families are absolutely broken beyond words. We are just trying to help and support these families in any way possible, no matter how big or small."

Corey Graham was a twin whose brother, Connor, was killed when he was hit by a car as the boys, then aged two, were leaving their nursery in Boothtown, Halifax, in 2006.

Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.