Son 'still waiting' for dad killed in crash during storm to come home

The son of a man killed in a crash during Storm Malik is “still waiting for him to come home”, his family have said.

Bogdan Popa was driving a lorry north on the M74 when it crashed through the central reservation and collided with an oncoming black Land Rover Discovery.

The 32-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene on the road between Lesmahagow and the Poniel Interchange after emergency services were called at around 7.50am on Saturday.

“Everyone is just devastated,” his niece Monica Tudorie told STV News.

“We never expected this to happen to us. His wife is still in shock, she’s not able to respond. It’s the same with her son.

“He keeps on waiting for him to come back, but obviously it’s not possible.”

Bogdan leaves behind his wife Lacramioara and their 12-year-old son Mario.

Early each morning Lacramioara would call her husband to check on him at work, but on Saturday she got no response.

After trying her son was able to track his dad’s location and saw the M74 had been closed due to the road crash, Monica said.

They immediately thought the worst and soon after received a call from Police Scotland.

On Saturday, Scotland was battered by extreme winds due to Storm Malik with a yellow weather warning in place across the whole country.

The family have lived together in Liverpool for the last two years while Bogdan worked as a professional lorry driver travelling to and from Scotland.

Originally from Romania, the family are now facing a huge bill to return the dad home to his parents so he can be laid to rest.

“He was the only son of the family, we want to take him there because of his mum and dad want to lay him to rest in peace in Romania,” Monica said, “We want to do this for him.”

Monica has set up a fundraiser to help pay to take Bogdan home which is expected to cost more than £5000.

You can donate here.

The driver on the Land Rover was uninjured but has been left badly shaken by the incident.

Police said an investigation is under way into the crash and appealed for drivers with dash cams to check their devices for footage that could help officers in their enquiries.