THE heartbroken family of a father-of-three who died after his van hit a wall have described him as the ‘life and soul of the party’.
Anthony Staplin, 44, was the driver of a Mercedes Citan, which crashed on Medomsley Road, Consett, on Thursday evening.
He was pronounced dead at the scene.
In a statement released by police, his family said: “Anthony, known as Tony, was a loving father, son, brother, and uncle.
“He was a massive fan of Sunderland Football Club and watched every single match.
“Tony loved taking his dog for walks, eating food, and watching the ‘Friday’ films.”
Anthony leaves behind his three children – Lewis, 20, Jay, 18, and Leoni, 17, his five siblings, father and many other much-loved family and friends.
His family said: “He was incredibly caring towards others and would always go out of his way to help anyone, no matter what he was doing.
“He was outgoing with a constant smile on his face and was always the life and soul of the party.
“He will be forever remembered by all of us and leaves an empty space our lives.
“We will miss him more and more for every day he is gone.”
Anthony’s family have asked for privacy as they grieve and come to terms with what happened.
Read more: Witness tells of finding van crashed into his house
The road was closed for several hours following the incident to allow investigators to work at the scene.
The passenger in the Mercedes suffered minor injuries.
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