Fire crews rush to deadly crash close to Edinburgh
- Glenn Campbell tragically died after his motorcycle collided with a tanker
Firefighters were sent to the scene of a fatal crash only to discover the victim was one of their colleagues.
Glenn Campbell, 21, died after his motorcycle and a tanker collided in East Lothian.
His firefighter colleagues were among those to respond to the accident, which happened between the villages of Drem and Dirleton.
They were dispatched after the crash between a red Scania tanker and Mr Campbell’s green Kawasaki ZX 900E1 at around 7.45am on Wednesday of last week.
While Mr Campbell was declared dead at the scene, Police Scotland said the tanker driver was uninjured.
The tragedy has shocked the firefighting community, with tributes pouring in for Mr Campbell. Area Commander Marc Pincombe praised the crew member as a ‘well respected and loved’ firefighter.
Firefighters were shaken by the tragic discovery and shared tributes to late Glenn Campbell
‘He loved his family, he loved his friends, he loved me, but no one could stop his love for motorbikes,’ Mr Campbell’s girlfriend said of her ‘soulmate’
Mr Campbell’s girlfriend, Paige Whyte, described the motorcycle enthusiast as her ‘soulmate’.
His friends paid tribute by holding a motorbike convoy, and firefighters have changed their social media profiles to a red line as a mark of respect.
Mr Pincombe said: ‘Glenn was a well-respected and loved firefighter at North Berwick Community Fire Station.
‘Our thoughts are with Glenn’s family, friends and colleagues at this very sad time.’
Ms Whyte added: ‘Not many people say soulmates exist. I was one of them until Glenn Campbell came into my life. He was my beautiful, amazing boy. I feel so lost without him.
‘I could talk about Glenn all day, there was not one bad thing about him. He made me laugh and he had compassion for others.
‘He loved his family, he loved his friends, he loved me, but no one could stop his love for motorbikes.’
Fellow firefighter Callum Mason said: ‘I didn’t have the pleasure to know Glenn for long as we had only met in April for our TTM [training] course for the fire service.
‘But I considered him a very close friend by the end of it due to his constant need to help others and make light of everything.’
Police said their inquiries were continuing and urged anyone who saw the accident to get in touch.
Sergeant Barry Sommerville said: ‘I would ask anyone who may have witnessed the crash, or who may have dashcam footage, and has not yet spoken to or provided this information to officers, to contact us as soon as possible.’
