'Beau was like sunshine': Community raises £23,000 for grieving family after beloved teenager dies in crash
The community has rallied around a grieving family
More than £23,000 has been raised to support a grieving family through an ‘unimaginable time’ after their 14-year-old died in a bus crash.
The community has rallied around the Croucher family after their “beautiful, innocent baby boy” - Beau - died in a crash involving a Stagecoach vehicle at The Hard on Monday, August 17.
To alleviate financial pressures on Beau’s family, a GoFundMe page, which has raised £23,680, was created over the weekend with 923 people donating.
Beau’s parents, Sam and Alex, released a tribute on Friday, August 21 where they described their son as their “absolute world. Our heartbeat. Our obsession.”
They said: “Beau went out for the afternoon. He never came home.
“Right now, all of our love, our focus and our entire world is Beau. These are the stories you hear about and think, that could never happen to us. You never, in a million years, imagine that something so unimaginable could happen to your perfect little family.
“There are no words that can come close to describing the magnitude of the pain we are living with. It is beyond anything we ever knew was possible to feel. Our hearts are broken in a way we didn’t know a heart could break.
“Our beautiful, innocent baby boy. To know Beau was to love him. When you got to spend time with Beau it was a privilege. He had a unique way of making people laugh. His humour was effortless, his observations were always on point, and he brought joy and laughter to everyone who knew him. His intelligence has always astounded us. From an early age we realised how exceptional his mind was. He was in top sets at school, loved spending time with his friends and he was happiest when he was around those he cared about.
“Beau loved going on holiday, it was only last week that we were all enjoying being together in London for his birthday and then Cornwall, where he loved to spend time with his family. He always showed gratitude for the life he lived.
“Beau was like sunshine, his light was so strong, and he always stood out in a crowd. It’s like we were blessed with an angel. It’s difficult for us to truly explain how much he meant to everyone and what an incredible boy he was. There are no words to describe the depth of our love for him, or the emptiness that is left behind without him here.
“Our friends and family have been our pillars these past few days, literally picking us up off the floor and carrying us through moments we never believed we would have to face. We have been completely overwhelmed and comforted by the outpouring of love, messages and support. We thank you as a family.
“We will share more about our beautiful Beau in time, because he deserves to be known, remembered and loved. Please continue to talk about him, remember him and continue to say his name.”
The tribute also described Beau as “Pompey’s number 1 fan” and that “his favourite thing was to go to Fratton Park and following the Blues with his dad and grandad.”
Earlier this week, Pompey FC released a tribute saying: “Everyone at Portsmouth Football Club was devastated to hear about the tragic death of Beau, who was a loyal and passionate Pompey fan. Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this incredibly sad time.”
The tragic crash has also sparked a petition to move the bus stops in the area, with local businesses explaining the current locations are dangerous.
The driver of the bus, a 39-year-old man from Portsmouth, was arrested on suspicion of causing serious injury by dangerous driving and has since been released on bail until November 17 while further enquiries are carried out.