The family of a young man killed in a go-karting accident at the weekend spoke of their grief and sadness last night.

Roxanne Christopher, the cousin of Jason Christopher Matthew, who died following an accident at the Clearwater track on Sunday afternoon, said the family was trying to come to terms with his death.

She said the family was small and closely-knit, so had been hit hard by the tragedy.

"The family, of course, is deeply grief-stricken and we are grappling with a lot of things at once right now," said Ms Christopher. "Jason was a man who was loved by many.

"He was not a person who you knew briefly. All of Jason's relationships were very in-depth.

"I'm getting married in November and he was one of our groomsmen - I met my fiance through Jason. The Christopher family is close and intimate and he was an integral part of our lives. I don't think words can describe what everyone is going through right now."

Mr. Matthew, of Cherry Hill Park, Paget, was racing in the first heat of the 125cc Shifter Class in kart number 79 on Sunday when he is thought to have lost control of the vehicle on a hairpin bend.

The 30-year-old suffered serious chest injuries and was pronounced dead at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital at about 2.30 p.m.

Mr. Matthew is believed to be only the second motorsports enthusiast to have died during a race on the Island in the last 20 years. Powerboat racer Ken Dear died during an event in the early 80s.

The Bermuda Karting Club, which governs the sport, is carrying out an investigation into the accident. The club said on Sunday that routine safety procedures at the track had been observed prior to racing and no other participants or spectators had been involved or injured.

Ms. Christopher, who is the Road Safety Officer, said she only saw her cousin on Friday. She said she would see him regularly as he was a senior mechanic at Bermuda Motors and would often call at TCD, where she works, to get vehicles tested and taxed.

"I saw him on Friday and he was fine," she added. "We were talking and laughing and preparing for Sunday. We were having a family gathering on Sunday and he was going to come by after go-karting. Everything was normal. His death has really hit us all hard."

A funeral service will be held for Mr. Matthew on Friday, at 4 p.m., at the New Testament Church of God in Dundonald Street, followed by burial at St. John's Cemetery in Pembroke.