The mother of a young driver killed in a road accident says that his death must serve as a warning to others who drive too fast.

Jeanette Jinks, mother of 23-year-old John Jinks, issued the stark message:

“Speed kills – he’s proved it.”

Mrs Jinks spoke out after her son died when his Mini Cooper S was involved in a crash with a Vauxhall Astra this week.

“John was a boy racer. He drove far too fast – I was always telling him to slow down,” she said. “I hope all his friends will learn from this and slow down. Everybody’s got to slow down. It needs to be said.”

Mrs Jinks, 49, said from what she knew of the crash, her son had been driving too fast along the A607 Leicester-to-Melton road at Rotherby, and was overtaking a lorry shortly before Tuesday’s crash. A woman passenger in the Astra was airlifted to the Queen’s Medical Centre, Nottingham, and was yesterday described as “critical but stable”. The man driving the Astra was taken to Leicester Royal Infirmary with chest injuries. He is also stable.

Mrs Jinks, of Sapcote Drive, Melton, said: “We are praying for the people in the other car. John would never hurt a fly and he wouldn’t like to think he had injured or killed anyone. He wouldn’t have wanted that.

“He didn’t have a bad bone in his body. He didn’t drink-and-drive or do drugs. He just drove too fast.”

She added: “He was my baby, my beautiful baby. He was well-liked and he would have helped anybody.

“In the last six months he had more confidence, more friends and more attention from the girls. He was a popular lad.”

John had had a part-time job at the White Lion, in Melton, to help pay for his car, which he had for about six months.

“Everything was cars,” his mother said. “He was known as ‘The Legend’ and there were over 250 hits on his Facebook site, with everyone saying how much they will miss him.”

He would have turned 24 on Monday and was set for an assessment with the RAF, which he hoped to join as a fireman.

The former St Francis Primary School and King Edward School pupil had also worked in the valet department at Aston Vauxhall in the town, for four years.

Managing director Brian Kay said: “Everyone was in a state of shock on Wednesday. Cars were John’s life. He was a solid lad, very pleasant and was really looking forward to getting into the RAF.”

John also leaves his father, John, 62, and brother, Richard, 21.

Police are appealing for anyone with information to contact Detective Constable Simon Horton on 0116 222 2222.