Family devastated by death of student son (17)

11:37am Thursday 22nd May 2008

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A BURY College student with high hopes of becoming a music teacher has been killed in a road smash.

Seventeen-year-old Zachary Storm Taylor was riding his Suzuki motorbike along Bury Road in Rochdale when he attempted to overtake a black BMW at 8.45am on Monday. He was thrown from his machine when it collided head-on with a Peugeot car travelling in the opposite direction.

Zachary, of Stiups Lane, Rochdale, suffered horrific injuries and was pronounced dead on arrival at hospital.

The teenager was studying A-Levels at Bury College and dreamed of becoming a music teacher.

His mother and stepfather, Lindsey and Mark Kershaw, and his dad, Stephen Taylor, said their son's death had " left a hole that cannot be filled".

They added: "Zachary's main passion was music, and that is what he wanted to do when he was older.

"He was the nicest, funniest, most lovable lad you could meet. This is a terrible accident. We will miss him so much, as will all his other friends and family."

Sergeant Kevin Woodward, of the Road Policing Unit , said: "This tragic accident has resulted in the death of a 17-year-old lad. His family have been left devastated by what happened."

Lauran Chatburn, Bury College principal, paid tribute to the student. She said: "Words cannot express our sorrow. Zach was such a big personality with many friends here at college. Our thoughts are with his family at this sad time."