THE grieving fiancee of a popular Belfast man who tragically lost his life in a road crash yesterday has described him as “my rock”.

Manuel Caddell, aged in his 20s, tragically died following a road traffic collision in Crumlin, Co Antrim with a lorry.

The west Belfast father-of-one daughter was killed when the Audi car he was driving collided with a lorry on the Manse Road at its junction with Nutts Corner Road around 10.50 am.

Mr Caddell, a boxer and former pupil of De La Salle College, is survived by his fiancee Roisin Farrelly and their young daughter Mya.

Last night friends gathered in west Belfast to remember him and released Chinese lanterns into the sky.

In a moving tribute on Facebook yesterday, Ms Farrelly said: “Thank you everyone for your kind messages.

“My heart has been ripped apart.

“Please Manuel just let us all wake up and let this be a big dream.

“I don’t what I will do with out you.

“You were my rock of our family.

“Your are with your daddy now your best friend.

“Me and Mya will be lost without you please give me the strength to cope I love you forever.

“Until we meet again my special angel.”

Police spent yesterday at the scene trying to determine how the accident happened.

The PSNI has appealed for any witnesses to the crash to contact its Collision Investigation Unit on the 101 number.