Tributes have been paid to a former Metro journalist who died in a three-car crash in Hampshire.
Patrick Dane, a freelance entertainment and video game reporter from Chichester, died following the collision at around 12.45pm on Saturday along the A31 in New Alresford.
Mr Dane was a passenger in a Honda Civic when it was involved in a crash with a Chevrolet Captiva and a Ford Mondeo.
Five other people were seriously injured in the crash – a man in his 70s, a woman in her 60s, a man and woman in their 30s and a five-year-old boy.
Mr Dane’s family said their loss was ‘extraordinarily acute’.
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Paying tribute, they said: ‘When we lose someone who is precious to us, especially without warning, it leaves different-sized and shaped voids in our lives and on our souls.
‘These voids are personal yet also shared collectively with the members of the expansive circle of love that surrounded Patrick.
‘He was our son, our brother, our heart, our history. The pride we had for him and the love we have for him will be his beautiful legacy to us.’
His family added that Patrick was well-known for his sharp wit and ‘unwavering loyalty’ to his friends.
‘Having forged his own path into his career, the world of gaming and journalism has lost a stellar presence,’ they added.
‘He was a passionate and skilled writer’
On his LinkedIn page, Mr Dane described himself as a ‘dynamic and experienced entertainment editor’ with 12 years of experience.
He freelanced for the Metro for five years until 2025, where he covered popular games like League of Legends and Call of Duty.
His final published story was an exclusive interview with Guangyun Chen, the creative director of the live service game Marvel Rivals.
Metro’s video games editor David Jenkins said: ‘Everyone at Metro GameCentral is deeply saddened to hear of the loss of Patrick.
‘He was a passionate and skilled writer whose love for gaming and consummate professionalism was evident in everything he did. He will be sorely missed.’
Mr Dane joined This Week in Video Games as a senior news editor in October, with his team describing him as ‘deeply passionate’ about games.
He ‘hit the ground running, instantly super-charging our news operation with energy, insight and above all, passion’, his colleagues wrote.
They added: ‘Even though Patrick was with us for only a short time, he was an indispensable member of our team. We will miss him dearly.’
Mr Dane, who became the gaming editor at Dexerto in 2023, also wrote for top video game publications such as IGN and Eurogamer.
Bleeding Cool, an entertainment news site that was the first outlet Mr Dane wrote for, also paid tribute.
The site’s founder, Rich Johnston, said Mr Dane wrote some 6,000 articles on everything from comic books to pop culture from 2012 to 2019.
‘He came to Bleeding Cool after getting advanced tickets for a Green Lantern screening and wanting to share his thoughts,’ Johnston said.
‘So that movie was good for something.’
The pair often wound up in the same hotel room together at comic conventions, where Johnston came to know Mr Dane as an ‘insanely enthusiastic’ writer.
Bleeding Cool managing editor Mark Seifert added: ‘He talked to me a bit about his background in film over the years, and he always gave me the impression that there were many things he wanted to accomplish in that and related areas as well.
‘Hearing of his passing at such a young age shocks and saddens me. He will be missed.’
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