A PAIR of “soulmates” and their friend are still fighting for their lives after a late night crash.

Three people remain in hospital in a serious condition, police confirmed this morning. 

Four work colleagues were injured in a two-car crash close to Brighton Racecourse yesterday morning, with the three young passengers suffering life-threatening injuries.

Well-wishers have taken to social media urging Alex Jackson, Chantelle Marriott and Scott Hammond, all from Brighton, to “stay strong” after the crash.

A fourth friend, a 29-year-old man from Peacehaven who was driving the blue BMW 318L they were travelling in, suffered serious injuries in the incident.

Emergency services were called to Race Hill, Brighton, after the BMW travelling northeast collided with a blue-and-white Skoda taxi travelling southwest just after midnight.

The 26-year-old man from Brighton driving the Skoda suffered minor injuries but was able to call 999 to raise the alarm.

Firefighters used specialist equipment to help free two of the passengers trapped in the car, while four ambulances were called to the scene to take the injured patients initially to Royal Sussex County Hospital for treatment. A section of Warren Road was closed for five hours following the incident.

Friends close to the crash victims described former Patcham High pupil Alex, 19, and former Longhill pupil Chantelle, who turned 18 earlier this month, as “really loved up like soulmates” who had been together for more than two years.

Sarah Porter, 29, from Selsfield Drive, Brighton, who worked with the four at Poundstrecher Brighton, said the accident had hit all colleagues at the London Road store hard.

She said: “We are gutted. Four of our staff are gone.

“I was just trying to get on with work today and I was bursting out crying every five seconds.

“I heard Chantelle is in a coma in London, the two boys, Alex and Scott, are also in different hospitals in London.

“I have known Chantelle for about a year and she is lovely. Scott drives me mad because he is always so happy all the time.

“[Chantelle] has only just turned 18 and we were talking the other day about her starting driving lessons.

“She was so happy with herself and excited. It is really rough. They are just kids.

“I do not know what they were doing out in the car. We heard they accepted a lift home but we do not know where they had been.”

Sussex Police are now trying to trace any witnesses who saw the collision or who saw either of the vehicles being driven in the minutes beforehand.

Anyone with information should email collision.appeal@sussex.pnn.police.uk or call Sussex Police on 101, quoting Operation Awash.