‘Heartbroken’ family pay tribute to ‘kind and thoughtful’ Derbyshire teen whose body was discovered on busy A-road

Derbyshire Police received reports that a man’s body, which has now been confirmed to be Lachlan Regan, had been found on the A52 at around 11.10pm on Saturday, December 3 – close to the Victoria Avenue slip road leading to Borrowash.

Lachlan’s family have now released a tribute to the 19-year-old. They said: “Our family and all his friends are truly heartbroken. Lachlan is loved by so many and in his short 19 years of life he knew so many people and touched all their hearts.

“Lachlan’s family was his world – he was never too old for hugs and kisses and would give them out in the most meaningful way.

“He adored his little sister, and they had the most amazing bond. They would play fight, sing, chat and hang out together. He was never embarrassed to be seen with his mum and dad, coming on family holidays and swimming in the sea.

“When Dylan, Lachlan’s cousin, came into our home 11 years ago, Lachlan thought it was great to have a constant playmate. They would play army, dinosaurs, Hot Wheels and Nerf guns, running riot around the house – it was never a dull moment. Lachlan knew from an early age that family is everything and that Dylan was not just his cousin but his true brother.”

They added: “He was a Borrowash lad through and through and he would wave and smile at everyone, taking time out to help people if he knew them or not.

“He was also a grafter, the muddier the better! He would come home from a hard days work full of stories about his day. He worked hard and was driven to qualify as a brick layer and had his whole life ahead of him.

“Lachlan was the life and soul of all our lives, and would light up the room wherever he went and was always smiling with a beautiful soul. He is so unbelievably missed, loved and will always be in our hearts – and will never be forgotten.

“We cannot express the love and support from our family, friends and the community, it is truly overwhelming, and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts.”

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Officers, who are currently preparing a file for the coroner, are still keen to hear from anyone who was driving along the A52 between Derby and junction 25 of the M1 between 10.30pm and 11.15pm, especially those with dashcam footage.

Anyone with any information is asked to contact Derbyshire Police using any of the below methods, including reference 22*708796:

Facebook – send a private message to /DerbyshireConstabulary

Twitter – direct message the force’s contact centre on @DerPolContact

Website – complete the online contact form

Phone – call 101

You can also anonymously contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.