DEAD DAD AND BABY IN SAME HOSPITAL.

Byline: AMARDEEP BASSEY

A TRAGIC young father who died in a car crash was taken to the same hospital where his wife had just given birth to their first child.

Harjinder Sangha, 30, had left his wife and newborn son at the maternity ward two hours earlier, promising to return next morning.

But in a tragic twist of fate it was his lifeless body that was returned to the same hospital after he lost control of his Ford Focus car on his way to get a bite to eat.

The keen footballer, originally from Dudley, suffered serious head injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene in the early hours of Friday morning.

His wife and newborn baby son were due to be allowed home from hospital today.

Ambulance crews initially took Mr Sangha's body to Derby City Hospital where his wife was still in the maternity ward after giving birth to a son just two days earlier.

It is understood that shewasmadeaware of her husband's death at the hospital before police moved Mr Sangha's body to the nearby Royal Infirmary to avoid further distressing the new mum.

Last night, Mr Sangha's grieving family was still in shock but paid tribute to their popular son, a former student at Dudley's Castle Hill school who worked at the Toyota car plant at Burnaston, near Derby.

'The weekhasbeenanemotional rollercoaster for all the family,' said a close friend.

'Only a few days ago we were celebrating the birth of Harjinder's child and he was absolutely over the moon about it'He had been at his wife's side for most of the week and had only left the hospital a couple of hours before he died.

'It is such a tragic irony that his body was taken to the same hospital where he had spent all week doting on his son.'

He added: 'When police discovered Harjinder's wife was in the maternity ward, they broke the news to her there and immediately arranged to have the body moved to a different hospital.'

Harjinder's younger brother Tony, 21, said: 'He called me about an hour before the crash. He said he was going out to get something to eat and sounded very happy.

'I think he may have met up with some friends before going home.

'Harjinder wasa popular guyand will be badly missed by all his family and friends. He was a keen footballer and would often come back to Dudley just for a game of footy.'

A spokesman for Derbyshire Police said Mr Sangha's X-registration silver Ford Focus car lost control as it approached a roundabout in Pastures Hill, Littleover, Derby, at 12.40am.

He added: 'The car mounted the roundabout and flipped over onto its roof, colliding with three lamposts on the way.

'The single occupantwasthrownsome metres from the vehicle.

'He was declared dead at the scene at 01.20am before initially being conveyed to Derby City hospital.'

It is understood that slippery road conditions may have contributed to the crash but police said it was too early to say if that was what caused Mr Sangha to lose control.

They urged witnesses to call 01773 572 929

CAPTION(S):

IN FRAME: Clive Owen; TRAGIC: new dad Harjinder Sangha, 30, died in a car crash