Tributes are paid to a father of two who died in a collision in Shropshire
Kuljit Singh Uppal from Telford was involved in a crash between a car and tractor on the A41
Family and colleagues of a ‘devoted’ and ‘hardworking’ husband, father and son have paid tribute to him after he died following a collision in Shropshire.
Kuljit Singh Uppal, aged 39, from Telford, was the Chief Operating Officer Governor at School of Coding & AI and has been described as a loving husband, to his wife Jas, and father to their two young children, aged five and two.
Officers were called to the A41 near Newport at around 10.55pm on Tuesday 11 August following reports of a collision involving a Porsche Taycan and a tractor towing a flatbed trailer. Sadly, Kuljit was pronounced dead at the scene.
In a tribute, Jas said: “Kuljit was a devoted husband and father who worked incredibly hard for our family. This is a devastating loss to our family, and he will be desperately missed.
“Everything Kuljit did was rooted in his determination to create a better future for our family, and he had a real passion for helping young people. He was also deeply committed to his work and cared so much about helping others and making a difference.
“He gave us so many reasons to be so very proud of him.
"Kuljit always went above and beyond for everyone, a truly selfless individual putting others before himself. I am honoured to call him 'my person'."
Kuljit was also a much-loved son, the youngest of three children, and his parents have spoken of the devastating pain of losing him.
They said: “Kuljit had the most infectious smile and a truly unforgettable way about him. Wherever he went, he brought people together, and he leaves behind a legacy that will live on in everyone whose life he touched.
“We feel so lucky to have had the honour of raising such a beautiful soul, even for the short time we had him. His bright mind and kind heart will live forever.”
Manny Athwal, founder and Global Chief Executive of SoC, also paid tribute to their ‘wonderful’ and ‘respected’ colleague. He said: “We are absolutely heartbroken by the loss of Kuljit and our thoughts are first and foremost with Jas and their two young children at this incredibly difficult time.
“Kuljit worked incredibly hard and cared deeply about his family. He was also completely committed to improving people’s lives through education and innovation, which is something that made him such an important part of the business.
“He was a pleasure to work with and hugely respected by everyone who knew him. His knowledge, experience and dedication played a key role in helping us to grow significantly and establishing us as one of the leaders in our sector, highly respected both regionally and nationally.
"Kuljit was my friend for 26 years and a colleague at work. He lived by the values we hold as a team and made it his life's mission to help people from disadvantaged backgrounds to have better opportunities in life and get educated.
“He was a core part of the leadership team and deeply cared about other humans. He added so much value to School of Coding and to other people's lives, the whole team will miss his wonderful presence.
“His contribution will not be forgotten, but our priority now is supporting Jas, the children and his wider family as they come to terms with this terrible loss.”
A 30-year-old man, who was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving, has since been released on bail and enquiries continue.
Kuljit's family have requested privacy at this difficult time.