Man crushed to death by falling crane was a young father

A man crushed to death when he was hit by a crane as he washed his car in the street was named today.

Bus driver Michael Alexa, 23, died when the crane collapsed at a building site in Battersea, south west London.

Colin Farrant, commercial manager of his employer, London General, said Mr Alexa was a father-of-one who lived with his partner.

He said: "All staff and colleagues are greatly shocked by this tragic accident. Mr Alexa was a well-liked employee."

The 37-year-old crane driver also died when he was flung from the cab of the 160ft machine in the accident shortly before 6pm yesterday.

Mr Farrant said Mr Alexa was based at the company's Stockwell depot and drove buses on route 11, which runs between Fulham and Liverpool Street.

Witnesses said Mr Alexa was crushed when the jib of the crane became detached from the mast and crashed to the ground, also hitting a two-storey block of flats.

It is believed that members of his family live on the Savona Estate, off Thessaly Road, opposite to where the tragedy took place.

Mohamed Herse, who lives in the flat above the family home, said Mr Alexa had a baby who will celebrate a first birthday in a few days.

He said: "He was a good man, very ambitious. He was washing his car. He went to the shop and he was just washing his car afterwards. He loved his car, it was a silver BMW.

"Everybody around here knew him and he was very close to his family. He is Romanian, but he had been here a long time and had an English accent."