Tribute paid to ‘loving’ father of two killed in Lidl crash

The family of a father who died after a car crashed through a Lidl supermarket in Wolverhampton has described him as “the absolute centre of our world”.

James Singh Jagpal, 39, from Wolverhampton, was pronounced dead at the scene last Friday after a car crashed into the building around 6pm. Emergency services were called to the supermarket in Finchfield Hill, where a number of other people were treated for injuries.

Mr Jagpal’s family paid tribute to the “much-loved son and brother, devoted partner of over 20 years” in a statement released by West Midlands Police, who was a “loving father to two wonderful daughters”.

“Known for his kindness, generosity and wonderful sense of humour, James was loved by so many and will be deeply missed by all who knew him. James was the absolute centre of our world, and it is unimaginable how we will navigate life without him by our side,” the family said.

“We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the staff, customers and emergency services who immediately came to James’s aid at the scene.”

The family asked the public to respect their privacy and dignity by refraining to share footage of the aftermath online. Specially trained officers are continuing to support them.

The driver of the car, a woman in her seventies, was released from hospital and will be spoken to by police in “due course”, the force added. Two other women were taken to hospital with injuries and have since been discharged.

“We’re continuing to work to establish the full circumstances of the collision,” the force said in a statement.

Police are looking to speak to anyone who was driving in the area around Finchfield Hill between 5pm and 6pm on Friday in order to understand what might have caused the collision. They appealed for any dashcam footage which might show the car, a blue Renault Zoe, involved.