This is the 12-year-old British boy who died in an horrific motorway car crash in Belgium last week.

Daniel Rubin, pictured here for the first time, suffered fatal injuries when he was thrown from a BMW car he was travelling in with his family on the E40 highway near Veurne, close to the border with France, in the early hours of Wednesday, January 8.

The family-of-six were returning to their home in north London from a Jewish celebration in Antwerp when the accident took place. 

His parents and three siblings were also hurt, one seriously, but did not suffer life threatening injuries.

Their BMW X5 with British number plates lost control and ended up on its roof between the busy motorway and an exit road. 

Initial findings by investigators found that poor weather conditions were the cause of the accident, according to reports in Belgium.

Today the 12-year-old was remembered as ‘kind and caring’ and ‘a very dear student’ by Yoel Rabinowitz, the principal of the Menorah Grammar School in Edgware where he was pupil.

Daniel had been due to celebrate his bar mitzvah with his twin brother in two weeks’ time, according to the Jewish Chronicle.

In an email to parents the principal added: ‘While it has been difficult for everyone, it is extremely difficult for his classmates in Year Eight to process.’

Rabbi Meir Rapoport, of the Imrei Shefer Congregation, said the heartbroken Rubin family had shown ‘remarkable "fortitude"' in accepting God’s will ‘despite their terrible sorrow and pain’.

He said: ‘This has been a tragic lost for the whole community, but especially for the family.

‘Daniel was a unique boy, both in character traits and his practice of Judaism.

‘He was kind and caring, not only to his parents, siblings and friends, but to anyone who interacted with him.

‘His father Itzik pointed out one example of his kindness. Every morning he would come in advance of [his morning prayers] Shacharit and a coffee and a biscuit would be reading for him, prepared by Daniel.

‘He was very particular to attend and fully participate in the shul services [religious services]. In fact, every morning he was the first to unlock the shul [synagogue].

‘All his teachers pointed out that he was a model student in school.

‘He was eager to learn [the] Torah and Gemarah [Jewish religious books] and was always kind and considerate to all pupils.

‘The family have shown remarkable fortitude in publicly acknowledging and accepting God’s decree, in spite of their terrible sorrow and pain.

‘We as a community will be there to support the family in any way possible.’

In July 2023 a British mother-of-10 was killed in a motorway crash in northern France, close to the Belgian border.

Miriam Posen was travelling with six of her family members when they were involved in a three-vehicle pile-up on the E15 south of the city of Lens.

Her husband, Shalom Pinchos Posen and five other members of their family were also injured, two seriously, but survived. However a 75-year-old woman and a 45-year-old man who were travelling in a different car died.

Mrs Posen, who was a member of the ultra-orthodox Jewish community from Stamford Hill, north London, was travelling in a van at the start of a holiday when the tragedy took place.

Her son Izzy paid tribute to his mother in an emotion post on social media the next day.

He wrote: ‘My mother sadly passed away yesterday in tragic circumstances.

‘She was young and healthy and full of the spirit of life. I loved her son much.’

A family spokesman added: ‘Miriam was a devoted mother who was loved so much by her family and friends.

‘She was a special person who will be missed by all who knew her.’