A 19-YEAR-OLD man died when the car he was travelling in smashed into a steel crash barrier.

The devastated family of Andrew Taylor, from the Brunshaw area of Burnley, paid tribute to the teenager after the fatal accident in Blackburn Road, Clayton-le-Moors, at 6pm on Saturday.

Police are now trying to piece together the moments before the accident and urged anybody who witnessed the collision to get in touch as soon as possible.

In a statement, Andrew’s family described him as a “loving son, brother and grandson.”

They added: “Andrew was a ground worker for a local firm in Burnley installing playground equipment throughout the country for use by handicapped children. It was a job he thoroughly enjoyed making the dreams of young children come true.

“He will be dearly missed by all who knew him.”

Police said that Andrew was a front seat passenger in a silver Ford Mondeo that was heading in the direction of Rishton.

They believe the car lost control on a right hand bend just after the Dunkehalgh Hotel and collided with steel barriers on the opposite side of the road.

Andrew -a former pupil of Gawthorpe High School, Padiham - was pronounced dead at the scene and a 19-year-old man from Burnley who was sat in the back of the car suffered minor injuries.

A 37-year-old man from Hyndburn was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and has been released on bail.

Sergeant Pete Sculpher, who is leading the investigation, said: “I would ask anybody who witnessed the collision or saw a silver Mondeo on Blackburn Road heading towards Rishton before the collision to contact police.

“I am particularly keen to speak to the occupants of a red vehicle who stopped at the scene but left before police arrived; it is possible they could hold vital information which will help us piece together what happened.”

Residents living near to the crash site said it was a notoriously dangerous stretch of road.

Diane Fillingham, 44, who lives a few hundred metres from the accident scene, said: “There has been a lot of accidents along that road.

“There are speeding restriction just as you leave the village at the other end but none at this side of the road. Drivers can come down speeding at up to 100mph in the 30mph zone.”

Pensioner Jean Wolstenholme, 81, called for the council to cut the hedges opposite her house where she has lived for 40 years.

She said: “If the council cut the hedges over the road to allow people to see what was coming it would be much safer.

“We need signs making the speed limits clear and ones which say ‘danger, slow down’. it is tragic and we need to stop the accidents happening again.

Anybody with any information should contact police on 01254 51212 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.