THE brother of an 18-year-old who died in a tragic car crash over the weekend has shared his final memory of her.

Finlay Craen said he saw his sister Mia "smiling, as always," just five minutes before the fatal collision in Southwater on Saturday afternoon.

He made the comments on a GoFundMe page which he created to "help give Mia the send off she deserves".

Despite only being set up today, the fundraiser remembering the popular teenager has already raised more than £8,700.

It set out to collect just £1,500.

Finlay said: "Unfortunately, at about 12.30pm on Saturday, Mia, aged 18, was taken from us in a tragic accident that no one could have predicted.

"Mia was on the way to visit our new house in Southwater for the first time, that we were in the process of moving to.

"She was really excited and couldn't wait to get settled in, but sadly she never made it there.

"The last time I saw Mia was approximately five minutes before this occurred.

"She was smiling as always and making a real difference to the world, as always.

A GoFundMe page has been set up in memory of 18-year-old Mia Craen, who died in a crash near Horsham

A GoFundMe page has been set up in memory of 18-year-old Mia Craen, who died in a crash near Horsham

"As her brother, I want her to be remembered for what a kind and caring girl she was, and for the difference she made to the community.

"And I would like to use the money raised to give Mia the send-off she deserves.

"After all, she dedicated her life to making other people smile so it is only right to do something for her.

"I'm sure, if she was in the same situation, she would do the same.

"Mia had recently passed her driving test back in September and had a real love for driving. She always offered to drive, and was always the first to volunteer to give friends a lift when they needed one."

Finlay said Mia "always managed to light up the room" and had the amazing ability to "put a smile on peoples faces, even people that barely knew her".

"She was a well-liked and loved girl known by many. Once she started speaking she'd never shut up and it won't be the same again not hearing her voice," he said.

"Please even if you don't have anything to give, share this so it can reach as many people as possible so Mia can be an inspiration to all.

"Thanks for reading all this and I hope your understand what a difference Mia made to everyone."

A GoFundMe page has been set up in memory of 18-year-old Mia Craen, who died in a crash near Horsham

A GoFundMe page has been set up in memory of 18-year-old Mia Craen, who died in a crash near Horsham

Mia's Fiat 500 crashed into a tree in Southwater, near Horsham, on Saturday afternoon. Police rushed to respond to the single-vehicle collision, but the 18-year-old was sadly pronounced dead at the scene.

Yesterday, her mother Michelle issued an emotional statement, celebrating her daughter's life.

She said: "Mia was a bright, shining star. Everyone who met her, even if they didn’t know her, loved her.

"She was constantly smiling, always positive and brought peace to everyone. She had an amazing zest for life and never had a bad word to say about anyone. She was truly unique."

“...Her aspirations were to try her best, and to do everything with boundless optimism and positivity.

“Mia leaves behind myself, her dad Peter, and siblings Finlay and Jude. She has family all over the world.

“Mia’s zest for life makes me think I should get a band with ‘what would Mia do’ (WWMD), as she grabbed life with both hands. She never did anything half-heartedly. We know that getting used to Mia not being around is going to be hard.”

Following her death, hundreds of people took to social media to share tributes to Mia, alongside messages of support to her family.

Her most recent Instagram post has been flooded with hundreds of comments, each paying their respects to the Horsham teen.

Her mother Michelle said: ""We have been amazed by the amount of people who have contacted us about Mia. We want to thank them all for their lovely words.

"We haven’t been able to thank everyone. We’d also like to say thank you to the flowers, cards and offers of food, and to our church, Latitude, for their support and organisation of meals."

Mia, who was born in Poole but spent most of her life in Horsham, previously worked at the McDonald's restaurant in Buck Barn.

But her mum said she was "very excited" to be starting an apprenticeship with Horsham-based business Eurovia - a company which delivers specialist highway services.

A GoFundMe page has been set up in memory of 18-year-old Mia Craen, who died in a crash near Horsham

A GoFundMe page has been set up in memory of 18-year-old Mia Craen, who died in a crash near Horsham

Outside of work, Mia was a keen sportswoman. She was a member of Horsham Triathlon Club, Atlantis Swimming Club and played for Sparrows Football Club when she was aged six to eight.

"Mia went to Greenway Academy, Millais and Collyer’s, and also played football for Millais School," her mum said.

"She was a brilliant runner and enjoyed cycling."

Mia also played as the goalkeeper for Horsham Hockey Club and excelled in the role.

"She was destined for great things," her mum said.

"She won player of the season twice, despite only playing for them for two seasons. She also played for Sussex."

Police are continuing to appeal for witnesses as officers look to establish the circumstances surrounding Mia's death.

The collision happened on the B2237 Worthing Road in Southwater, near Horsham, at about 12.30pm on Saturday.

A Sussex Police spokesman said: "Anyone who saw a white Fiat 500 travelling in the area immediately before the collision – or anyone who captured what happened on dash cam – is asked to email collision.appeal@sussex.pnn.police.uk quoting Operation Sunningdale."