A father's tribute to his 'lovely' daughter

THE devastated father of a British student who died in the United States after being run over by an alleged drink-driver has paid tribute to his "lovely, bubbly" daughter.

Emily Lewis was killed in Warrensburg, New York state, on Thursday night when a car veered off the road.

The 21-year-old, from Aberdeen, was in America working in an administration office at a summer camp. Her colleague Dominic Hartley, 21, also died in the incident.

Emily's father Paul, 53, said: "We're all still in shock. She will be sorely missed by everyone. She was a lovely and bubbly girl, and very popular."

Mr Lewis, a solicitor in Aberdeen, said he had been in regular contact with his daughter and she appeared to have had "a whale of a time".

"This has been a terrible tragedy," he said. "But it gives us some comfort knowing she was doing something that made her happy."

Emily was a third-year business studies student at Aberdeen's Robert Gordon University.

Lewis spoke of his pride in his daughter whose exam results arrived yesterday.

"She passed and got an A, she did really well," he said.

Emily, who also leaves her mother Marysia and brother Andrew, was taken to Glens Falls Hospital and then to Albany Medical Centre but later died of her injuries.

Another colleague, Christopher Jones, 18, also from Britain, was hurt and needed hospital treatment.

They were all working at Camp Echo Lake and had been standing at the side of the road in a group of seven people when they were hit, New York state police said.

The car driver, Peter Goldblatt, 39, has been charged with drink-driving and aggravated vehicular homicide. He appeared in court on Friday and was remanded to the Warren County Jail in lieu of 332,000 bail.

Witnesses said Goldblatt's SUV stopped near the scene of the accident and that he tried to restart the vehicle before police arrived.

Thousands of Britons travel to the US every year for gap-year jobs at summer camps. Camp Echo Lake is 90 minutes from New York city and caters for 350 children aged seven to 15 with a staff of 200.

Its website promises would-be young employees: "You'll be part of a team whose watch words are consideration and kindness.

"The best memories of your life, and some of the best friendships, will be made at camp."

About 30 per cent of the camp's staff come from overseas and they are recruited and placed through international agencies.

Despite the accident, the camp was open yesterday. Owner Tony Stein said that the arrival of new students could help staff cope with their grief: "Greeting the kids for the first time is an uplifting experience because they're fun and joyful and they bring a lot of light to the place."