Three-year-old boy with ‘kind soul’ dies in hospital almost a week after M4 crash

A “wonderful” three-year-old boy with a “kind soul” has died in hospital almost a week after a crash on the M4 near Newport.

The youngster, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had been travelling in a car on the motorway’s westbound carriageway when it was hit by a van.

The collision took place on the M4 westbound carriageway between junctions 28 and 29, near Newport, prompting a huge emergency response and causing the route to be closed for around seven hours.

A family member told the PA news agency: “Unfortunately, after a week of fighting, he has passed away.

“He was wonderful, creative and a kind soul. Turned the grey skies blue.”

A GoFundMe page set up in the aftermath of the incident has raised almost £10,000.

Earlier this week, the family of a "wonderful" four-year-old girl who died in the crash said they were "lost for words" following her death.

Gracie-Ann Wheaton, from Tredegar, had been returning from a birthday party at around 1.45pm on Saturday when the car she was travelling in was involved in a crash with a van.

She was rushed to the intensive care unit (ICU) of University Hospital of Wales, also known as the Heath Hospital, in Cardiff, but suffered a cardiac arrest due to the severity of her injuries.

A Ford Transit driver, 41-year-old Martin Newman, of Croeserw, appeared at Newport Magistrates' Court on Monday charged with causing death by dangerous driving and two offences of causing serious injury by dangerous driving.

He has been remanded into custody pending a hearing at Newport Crown Court on February 21.

Anyone with dashcam footage of the collision, or any information that could help the investigation, is asked to call Gwent Police on 101 and quote 2200041245.