University of Essex students named as victims after car crashed into building in Colchester

Four university students who died when a car crashed into a building have been named by Essex Police.

The crash happened at around 4.40am on Saturday morning on Magdalen Street in Colchester.

Police have named the victims as University of Essex students Makyle Bayley, 22, Eva Darold-Tchikaya, 21, Anthony Hibbert, 24, and Daljang Wol, 22.

The university's acting vice-chancellor Professor Maria Fasli said they "played an active role in our community through clubs and societies" and had "young lives filled with hope, promise, talent, and dreams for the future".

"Anthony and Daljang were outstanding members of our Essex Rebels men's basketball first team, Makyle was a talented basketball player who was a member of our BUCS basketball team and Eva undertook several roles in our Essex Blades Dance Club and was active in many other clubs and societies," she said in a statement.

"Their loss will be felt by their families and closest friends and by all our university community. In classrooms, in halls, in shared moments of laughter and learning - they were part of us, and their absence will be felt profoundly."

Professor Fasli said the university would share details in the coming days of "a time and place for our university community to gather in remembrance".

The University of Essex said in a statement "our whole university is in mourning", adding: "They touched the lives of so many of us at Essex; their friends, classmates, the teams they played for, and the staff with whom they spent time.

"It is impossible to imagine the loss being felt by their families and many friends. Our thoughts are with everyone who knew them at this terrible time."

Essex Police asked anyone who saw a black Ford Focus being driven along Magdalen Street or in the near vicinity around the time of the crash, or who has any CCTV, dash-cam or doorbell footage, to contact them.

Temporary Assistant Chief Constable Stuart Hooper said: "I want to extend my condolences to the friends and family of Makyle, Eva, Anthony and Daljang.

"This will be an incredibly difficult time for them and we have specialist officers supporting them.

"Our specialist serious collision investigation unit is investigating what led up to the collision but at this stage we do not believe any other vehicles were involved."

(c) Sky News 2025: University of Essex students named as victims after car crashed into building in Colchester