Tributes paid to future Sheffield Hallam University students killed in horror crash during trip to the seaside

Jennifer Woodhouse, aged 18, from Alfreton, Derbyshire and Lara Meldrum, 19, from Arnold, Nottingham, who were described as “friends to the end” by Lara’s family, were due to start at university in Sheffield together later this year.

Jennifer Woodhouse, 18, from the Alfreton area of Derbyshire, and Lara Meldrum, 19, from the Arnold area of Nottinghamshire, were involved in the collision just before 7pm on Friday 17 June.

In a statement, Lara’s family said: “Having finished their A Level exams, Lara and Jennifer had a summer of fun ahead before they headed off together to study at Sheffield Hallam University in September. A day trip to the seaside ended so tragically."

They said of Lara: “We will miss her jumping on our bed every night to chat before we slept. We will miss her taking days to bring her washing and dishes down.

“We will miss her stealing our phones and taking random pictures without us knowing. We will miss her charming ability to get a lift to college despite having just been given money for the bus.”

Jennifer’s family described her as a “beautifully kind-hearted, hard-working, caring and empathetic young woman with the whole world ahead of her”.

Previously, Jennifer had volunteered with the charity, Barnardos, before finding work in pubs, cafes and restaurants.

Her family said: “The world is a better place for having had her in it and she will be missed terribly. She was an incredible human who blessed all that got to know her kindness, her intelligent empathy, her charm, her humour, and her complete radiance which made us all be better people.

"Jennifer was a force of nature. She was our beautiful, little star. We are all privileged to have had her in our lives. She was absolutely hilariously funny with an intelligent sense of humour that never failed. She would be rolling around on the floor with her friends laughing at the silliest thing.”