Tributes have been released by the families of two women who sadly died in a fatal road accident on the A158 in Hagworthingham last week.
Jennifer Woodhouse, 18, from the Alfreton area in Derbyshire, and Lara Meldrum, 19, from the Arnold area in Nottinghamshire, were involved in the collision just before 7pm on Friday 17 June.
Jennifer Holzhaus
Jennifer’s family said, “Jennifer was a force of nature. A beautifully kindhearted, hardworking, caring and empathetic young woman with the whole world ahead of her. She was our beautiful little star. We are all privileged to have had them in our lives. She was absolutely hilariously funny with an intelligent sense of humor that never failed. She rolled around on the floor with her friends and laughed at the silliest thing.
“She had a deep-rooted sense of morality and principle and lived by what she believed in. She just loved people and most of all she believed and stood up for her whole family, standing by them through everything, helping us all when we were wounded, taking care of us when we were sick, counseling us through our turbulence and bringing always make us laugh and smile. She loved her brother more than life itself and he protected her fiercely. They had the most beautiful bond and although they could tease each other if anything happened, it would be against the world. She was so thoughtful and spent time with her extended family whenever she could.
“She was a whirlwind of energy, transitioning from baking cakes to dancing, painting and playing with her dog Kevin. She lived life to the fullest and looked to the future, always planning and saving for her travels or for her car or whatever she wanted. She was persistently independent and refused help buying a car because she could do it on her own. She loved dinosaurs and crocs and online shopping and was always waiting for a package. She could have become anything she wanted, she was so smart, so hardworking and so skilled. Jen loved to work and earn her own money, she always put in more hours than we asked of her and her workmates became lifelong friends. Even before her paid work, Jen volunteered at Barnardos, where she worked every week, made friends with young and old, and had loads of fun. Jen could have been a top chef and has worked in a coffee shop, a pub and most recently at Pizza Express. Gifted beyond her years, she took on far more responsibilities than a teenager should. Jen brightened up the work day wherever she was and always gave 100%.
“She always put others first. She understood people so well and last year when her mother and brother were ill she was not only a great support but also a pioneer, shaving her head for charity. Jen was a mental health hero and looked out for all of her friends. She knew when things weren’t right and would run down the stairs saying ‘we have to go’ and has been a brilliant support to many in really dark times, staying with friends when the elderly were struggling to cope will. She was also super funny and made silly videos or tik toks, she made friends everywhere and made every situation full of healthy fun.
“In the last few years she has done amazingly well on her GCSEs and went on to college to get her A-levels. She met some of her best friends and loved adventures, especially with Lara, and her vacation in Blackpool was hilarious. Jen was a student you loved teaching, she was a bright light who was always laughing and kept the teachers on their toes. She was a genius at math. She studied, worked and partied incredibly hard and got a place at uni in September to study math, yet always made time for family and friends.
“The world is a better place because she was there and she will be missed terribly. She was an incredible human being who blessed all who came to know her kindness, intelligent empathy, charm, humor and complete charisma which made us all better people. Anyone who knows Jennifer loves her.”
Lara Meldrum
Lara’s family also paid tribute: “Friends to the end. After completing their A-level exams, Lara and Jennifer had a fun-filled summer ahead of them, before heading off to study together at Sheffield Hallam University in September. A day trip to the sea ended so tragically.
Lara was a fun-loving girl whose kind and caring nature touched so many of her friends across the country. She was born in Chesterfield and lived most of her life in Coxley, Somerset and Arnold, Nottingham. Despite the distances, their friendships remained close and sometimes stronger. We have never known anyone with as many “best friends” as so many proudly call them.
She followed in her older brother Ross’ footsteps and became a valued member of The Nottingham Ice Hockey Club. She prided herself on having won a national league and briefly playing at elite level with women’s team The Vipers. Coach trips to away games from Scotland, Whitley Bay, Guildford, Streatham and many others in between have been some of the funnest times ever. Lara would be the ringleader of karaoke, dancing and all sorts of hilarious antics. She loved those bus rides with the girls.
Most recently, Lara worked part-time at McDonald’s in Arnold. The shy girl who went to her job interview thrived and her co-workers were soon entranced by that contagious smile and fun. She worked hard so she could save money to pay for vacations with her friends, going out, and her newfound love for clothes. Every color of Crocs you can buy and a hoodie to go with it!
Always at the forefront of fun and with a great sense of adventure, we’ve always said that she lived life in Lara Time in Lara World. This could be taking her on an adventure through the woods with her beloved Cockapoo Jet, or going for a late-night walk with her friends. We will miss her jumping on our bed every night to chat before we go to sleep. We will miss her, who takes days to put down her laundry and dishes. We will miss her when she steals our phones and randomly takes photos without us noticing. We will miss her charming ability to take us to college even though we just got paid for the bus. We will miss her fake tan that made her look like a tiger bread on day 3.
“We will miss her so much.”
– Officials would still like to hear from anyone who may have witnessed the incident or has dashcam footage of the collision. If you can help you can call 101 or email [email protected] Quoting Incident 402 of June 17th.