Car crash victim Rishi Khera died just three days after becoming engaged to his girlfriend, it has emerged. His heartbroken mother yesterday told the Oxford Mail that her 21-year-old son had been planning to get married to his fiancée, known as Shaks, in India next month.

The former Temple Cowley school pupil was killed when his silver BMW and a lorry collided at the Littlemore roundabout on the city's southern bypass on Saturday, July 26.

He had proposed to his girlfriend from Greater Leys on the Wednesday.

The revelation came as close friends and family of Mr Khera held an emotional sponsored walk from Cowley to Oxford on Saturday to raise money for a children's playground and memorial garden.

Mum Susan, of Lockheart Crescent, Cowley, said: "I was really happy thinking my first son was going to get married. I was thinking 'I'm going to have a daughter-in-law, I'm going to have grandchildren' — but all those dreams have been shattered.

"Nothing will ever bring that back to us now."

Mrs Khera said her son was very much in love with his fiancée, whom he met two years ago.

She said: "If I have lost a gorgeous son, I have definitely gained a beautiful daughter. She was just the girl for him.

"She's there for me now and I'm there for her."

About a dozen relatives and friends of Mr Khera took part in the nine-mile walk wearing colourful T-shirts bearing his name.

The walk raised £900 of the £10,000 needed to build the playground in the Punjab where he loved to travel.

More than £300 was put into a collection tin from people on the streets of the city who saw the walk.

Mr Khera's father, Billy, a bus driver for Stagecoach, raised £600 through sponsorship from the company, fellow drivers and bus passengers.

Although Mr Khera's fiancée was unable to take part in the walk, his brother Vikash, 12, and sister Ronica, 13, were present.

Mrs Khera, 38, said: "It was really emotional walking through Oxford. I felt like Rishi was walking beside me giving me the strength and holding my hand along the way.

"I just miss him so much. My stomach feels hollow.

"I was really touched by people's donations. Some people dug really deep in their pockets to help us."

At the end of the walk, the family left flowers and lit candles at the roundabout where Rishi lost his life.

The family also raised £138 from a car boot sale at the Kassam Stadium yesterday and were given £100 by a man who dropped round to their house after reading about the story in the Oxford Mail.

The Kheras hope to raise the £10,000 in time for Christmas and unveil the memorial garden on the first anniversary of their son's death next year.