More than £15,000 has been raised to bring a County Durham man killed in a suspected hit-and-run in Florida home to his family, who hope he will be back in England within days.
Brandon Grimes, 26, from Seaham, was killed in the early hours of Friday, September 25, while on holiday in Florida.
His partner, David Jackson, has now confirmed Brandon has been released by medical examiners, with the family hoping to bring him home within the next five days.
Brandon Grimes, 26, from Seaham was killed in a suspected hit-and-run while on holiday in Florida (Image: FAMILY)
A GoFundMe appeal set up by David has raised £15,371 towards its £16,000 target at the time of writing.
David said the costs of bringing Brandon home currently stand at around £10,000, excluding flights and his transfer within the UK.
Brandon Grimes, 26, was described as 'funny, caring and generous' and the 'life and soul of the party' (Image: FAMILY)
He said the total cost of getting Brandon to the family's funeral directors is expected to be around £13,000 and that's not including medical costs and transfers when he is home.
The family launched the appeal to help cover the cost of repatriating Brandon after his death, with David previously describing the difficulties of trying to get information from the US.
Brandon, who was described as the "life and soul of the party", was a grassroots football referee who was deeply loved by his family and friends.
His death prompted an outpouring of tributes from across County Durham and the wider North East football community.
Brandon's former employer, Workwear Express, donated £1,000 to the appeal.
The family had previously estimated that bringing him home could cost between £13,000 and £15,000 but it could be a lot more with medical transfers when he is home and other costs.
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- Updates as tributes from North East football world flood in for young referee
Brandon Grimes was a grassroots referee for the Durham County Football Association on the weekends (Image: FAMILY)
Florida Highway Patrol said Brandon was trying to cross US192 on International Drive in Kissimmee, about 20 miles south of Orlando, when he was struck by a westbound vehicle.
Investigators found car parts at the scene and believe the vehicle may have been a silver 2007 to 2010 Ford Edge with a black roof and damage to its right headlight and bonnet.
The family is continuing to appeal for donations as they prepare to bring Brandon home.