Boy killed in road crash tragedy named as Rajinder Mahal

A 16-year-old Smethwick boy who was killed in a collision with a motorbike was today named as Rajinder Mahal.

The teenager, of Edgbaston Road, was crossing the road from Lordswood Boys' School & Sixth Form Centre towards The New Talbot pub on Hagley Road when he was in collision with a Suzuki GSXR 1000cc motorbike at 9.50pm on Monday.

He had been in a group including 15-year-old best friend Jimmy Mallen, of Harborne Road in Bearwood, who crossed the road and turned to see Rajinder surrounded by a crowd of people after the collision.

Rajinder, known as Raj to friends, had suffered serious injuries in the collision and later died at Queen Elizabeth Hospital. A 39-year-old motorcyclist from Brierley Hill was uninjured in the crash but was treated for shock at the scene. Rajinder's family were too upset to talk about the tragedy but friends today paid tribute to his "kind and generous personality".

Best friend Jimmy said: "I've known him my whole life but I got to know him best around New Year. We haven't spent a day apart since then, we had so much fun. He was the nicest person, he never got into any trouble and his personality was so funny and kind."

Joshua King, an 18-year-old Lordswood Boys pupil of Gillott Road, added: "He was a good person. He never got into any trouble and helped so many people. It's very sad.

We used to go out together and I knew him well. He would always smile and help people. There's some people at school who are indebted to him for keeping them on the straight and narrow."

Bouquets of flowers were left at the scene in tribute. Nearby residents meanwhile said the tragedy showed why safety measures were long overdue outside the school.

Niki Constantinou, a worker at Birmingham University who lives on Hagley Road, said: "This road is a terrible danger to all the children. It's so tragic and horrible for this to happen. There's nowhere for children to cross and people ignore the speed limits as they turn around the corner."

Jas Mann, a mother-of-three, also of Hagley Road, was among the crowd after the collision and said the corner was a "hotspot" for accidents. The school secretary added:?"We're so sorry for the family at this time."

Witnesses are urged to ring 0345 113 5000.