Tributes have been paid to a promising teenage rugby player who has died following a road accident.
Zak Elderton played for the Vale of Lune rugby club in Lancaster and has been described by them as "a sportsman of considerable ability".
Zak, 18, died on Sunday after a road crash in Brookhouse near Lancaster, just hours after he played for the Vale of Lune A team.
He played for the Vale through all levels of the Mini, Junior and Colt sections.
In a statement on the club website, the Vale said Zak was "well-liked by his peers and admired by those who coached him" and was "undoubtedly heading for greater things in the sport".
A further tribute was paid by Myerscough College, where Zak was a rugby studies student.
A spokesperson for the college said: "Myerscough College extends our deepest and heartfelt condolences and sympathies to Zak’s family and friends, after his passing at the weekend following a road traffic collision.
"The whole college is devastated to lose such a lovely young man who had his whole life in front of him.
"Zak was a most pleasant young man, always respectful, kind and polite and an absolute credit to his family. In whatever Zak did he gave his very best. When things got tough with his academic work he would keep going and not give up, always ensuring he received good grades.
"Zak loved playing rugby for the college and had a real flair for it. He always wanted the best for himself and the team and was always motivated to improve and win. After every training session or match he would ask ‘how can I get better, what do I need to do, what can I work on?’ He was determined not to let his team and the coaches down and gave everything he could while playing for the college.
"Zak was a great pleasure to teach and coach and we will be forever grateful to Zak for his efforts and determination both on and off the pitch. We will all miss his strength of character, sense of fun, warmth and can-do attitude. Zak was a true character who will be sadly missed by us all.
"Our rugby students are now even more determined to go out and win their remaining fixtures this year in memory of Zak – to show up individually and collectively and do their best, just as Zak did every day.
"We are incredibly proud of the young man Zak had become. He was a great ambassador for Myerscough Rugby and for the college as a whole."
The crash occurred at around 11.40pm on Saturday on Littledale Road.
Zak was driving a Volkswagen Polo which left the road and collided with a tree. He was taken to hospital, where he passed away on Sunday morning.
Four other occupants of the car suffered injuries in the crash.
A 19-year-old man suffered a broken ankle, an 18-year-old man suffered an injury to his eye, another 18-year-old man suffered a broken leg and arm and a further 19-year-old man suffered a suspected pelvic injury.
Police are appealing for anybody with information about the incident to come forward.
Sgt Martin Wilcock, of the Lancashire Roads Policing Team, said: “First and foremost our thoughts are with the family of the man who died. This is a truly awful time for them and we send them our deepest condolences.
“We are now determined to establish what happened and an investigation has been launched. Anybody who saw the vehicle in the moments before the collision, has dashcam of the vehicle in the area or who has any other information is asked to get in touch as soon as possible.”
Anybody with information should contact police on 101, quoting log 1659 of March 4th. You can also email the serious collision investigation unit using the email address sciu@lancashire.police.uk.
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