One of the three victims of a horror crash in Bradford was a soldier on compassionate leave to see his desperately-ill mum in hospital.

Father-of-one Lance Corporal Daniel Hague, 32, had been due to return to his Lancashire-based unit the day before the high-performance Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution he was a passenger in went out of control and ploughed into a hairdressing salon in Thornton.

His devastated sister Emma Hague, 25, yesterday told the Telegraph & Argus how her brother had at the last minute managed to extend his leave after their mother’s health worsened, leaving her needing surgery.

Their mother Sally, 49, remains in hospital and has not yet been told of the tragedy.

Miss Hague said: “We can’t tell her yet, she is not well enough. He was her first-born, that’s enough said. She loved us all, me and our younger brother Steven, but they were so close. She will never be the same again.”

Miss Hague said her brother, who she adored, loved life, the Army, girls and cars.

She said: “He was outgoing. He loved life. He was a typical man with a big passion for the Army, girls and cars. He was a ladies’ man, but everybody loved him. Daniel had an 11-year-old son to an ex. He has been told about his dad.”

LCpl Hague, a former pupil of Yorkshire Martyrs School in Bradford, started his Army career in the Royal Logistics Corps before being promoted to a Lance Corporal with Force Support Squadron, 2 Medical Regiment.

His sister said: “He served all over – Iraq, Afghanistan, Germany. He saw enough horrors, but still got on with living his life.”

She said her brother had spent time at his mother’s side on the day of the crash before catching up with old friends he had kept in the Denholme area.

“I don’t know what happened. I think he might have been getting a lift home, mum lives not far from there. I’ve lots of questions that need to be answered,” Miss Hague said.

Police yesterday named the other two victims of the crash as 19-year-old Jade Best, of Denholme, and Adam Ruthven, 27, also of Denholme.

Steven Nunn, chairman of Denholme Town Council, said the loss of young people from a small community had sent shockwaves through the area.

He said: “There will be two absolutely devastated families in the village. Once these families are ready then I’m sure the whole of Denholme will come out to support them. The entire community has been really affected by this.”

Early inquiries by detectives investigating the crash suggested “high speed” was a factor in the collision. No other vehicle was involved.

Despite intense efforts by passers-by and firefighters to save the three, they were all pronounced dead at the scene.

The car ploughed into Michelle Champion Hair Design on the corner of Thornton Road and Kipping Lane shortly after 11pm on Monday.

Anyone with information about the crash, or who saw the vehicle in the area beforehand, has been urged to contact police on the non-emergency number 101.