Mum tells of popular son, Alex (From Swindon Advertiser)

Mum tells of popular son, Alex

8:07pm Sunday 8th November 2009

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THE mother of teen crash victim Alex Szymanski has spoken of the moment she was told her beloved son had died.

Alex, 19, and his uncle Shaun Hill, 28, were involved in a three-vehicle crash on Wharf Road, outside Wharf Farm, near Wroughton, just after 3.30pm on November 2.

Alex died instantly while Shaun was left with severe facial injuries and internal bleeding and was taken to Great Western Hospital where he remains.

Speaking from their Lynmouth Road home in Churchward, Tracy Szymanski said Alex had called her just before 3pm on that fateful day to ask her to buy him some Lynx deodorant.

“Half an hour later my boy was dead,” she said. “I was in Asda in West Swindon when I got a call from my sister telling me Shaun and Alex had been in an accident. I knew before I got there my boy was dead, something just felt very wrong.”

Alex had been driving home through Wroughton when the back of his Citroen Saxo swung into the path of a VW van. The Saxo split in half throwing Shaun from the wreckage.

“I don’t know how I did it but I managed to run right up to the wreckage,” said Tracy. “Alex was under there but I didn’t know it was him until the police tried to drag me away.

“All I could see was his feet – he wasn’t wearing any trainers.”

But while those horrific images will stay with Tracy forever, she said the happier memories of her beautiful son will help keep the haunting ones at bay.

“When I saw the photograph of Alex with train tracks shaved into his hair in the Adver, I cringed,” she said.

“We joked at the time about how awful they looked and how unsuited to Alex they were – they didn’t last for long.

“It is important for any mother who loses a child to make sure the world knows what kind of person her son was.

“I can’t have Alex dying with everyone thinking he was some boy racer. He loved his cars but knew their capabilities, he didn’t like taking risks.”

The day Alex left Greendown Community School he signed up as an apprentice mechanic at First Class Automotive, his grandfather John Stewart’s garage on Elgin Industrial Estate.

“He loved it there,” said Tracy. “That boy never took a sick day in his life – he lived for cars.”

Tracy and Alex’s father Tad Wysocki said they were overwhelmed by the amount of tributes paid to their son by hundreds of devastated friends.

Tad, 54, said: “I knew Alex was popular – especially with the girls – but to see the reams and reams of messages friends have left for him at the scene and on his Facebook page has been an eye-opener.

“It makes me very proud of him and it has been an immense comfort to us to have all these messages to read.”

Alex’s charm often earned him a band of female friends but it was childhood sweetheart Roxanne Bradford he confided in.

Roxanne, 19, from West Swindon, has slept in Alex’s bed since the night of his death – and the teddy bear he bought her is always close by.

“We have known each other since we were 13,” she said.

“He did a fair bit of chasing and in the end we went out from 16 until we were about 18, we were the best of friends.”

Tracy said her oldest son was also immensely proud of his little brother Corey, 12, who has been rocked by the tragedy.

Alex had hoped to cheer his little brother on at Wootton Bassett Rugby Club where Corey plays most Sundays.

“Corey doesn’t know if he is coming or going at the moment said Tracy.

“But Alex was so proud of him, he thought he was a great little player and while they – as all brothers do – had their little playfights and got on each other’s nerves, they were friends to the end.”

Tracy and Tad said they were touched by the cards and flowers that have poured into their home in the week since Alex died.

“Some of the cards have come from people we didn’t even know,” Tracy said.

“We have just been overwhelmed by the kindness we have seen during what has been our darkest hour as a family and would like to offer our heartfelt gratitude and thanks to those wonderful people.”

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