Two teenagers killed in a road traffic collision near Tidworth have been named by police.
Jack Paolucci, 19, and his fiancé Courtney Jennings, 18, died when a Renault Clio they were travelling veered off Perham Down Road and crashed into a tree on Friday (29 October).
The pair both served together in the British Army and were based in Tidworth. Courtney graduated in September 2020 and was part of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME) corps.
Courtney’s family – from Staffordshire – say they have been left heartbroken by her loss, describing her as having an infectious laugh and had made everyone proud by following her aspirations of joining the army.
There were six passengers in the car at the time of the collision — two passengers remain in hospital, with one, a 27-year-old man, in a stable but critical condition. The two other occupants suffered less serious injuries.
In a statement released by Wiltshire Police, her family said: “Courtney lost her life far too soon. No parent should ever find themselves in this situation, but through all our heartache we have the memories of our daughter that will forever keep our hearts bright.
“Courtney was 14 when she decided she was going to join the Army, and through her own aspersion and determination she succeeded and left home at 16 to join Harrogate Foundation college to achieve her dreams.
“She made herself proud, and all around her as proud of her as they could be. She has the brightest smile and infectious laugh. Once she started you could not help joining in. She was selfless with the kindest heart and was extremely close to her family. She always showed her love to everyone.
“Courtney was determined and sometimes stubborn, but always saw the bigger picture. When she met Jack she was the happiest that we’d ever seen her. Jack truly looked after her, and that was reassuring to us as parents.
“Speaking to her on FaceTime on Friday she was beaming about them going out to a nightclub together to celebrate Halloween. Her costume took weeks to prepare.
“Unfortunately, she never made it and that breaks our hearts. We were really looking forward to her sending us pictures of the night.
“She sent us pictures before they left and she looked so beautiful. We will forever hold that in our thoughts. We cannot believe that we will never get to hear her voice or hug her again.
“It is absolutely tragic, and we will forever miss our angel.”
Jack’s family has not released a tribute as this stage.
The circumstances of the collision remain part of an ongoing investigation and anyone with any information is asked to call 101 and quote reference number 54210105760.
