Four university students who died when a car crashed into a building have been named by Essex Police.

The crash happened at around 4.40am on Saturday morning on Magdalen Street in Colchester.

Police have named the victims as University of Essex students Makyle Bayley, 22, Eva Darold-Tchikaya, 21, Anthony Hibbert, 24, and Daljang Wol, 22.

The university’s acting vice-chancellor Professor Maria Fasli said they “played an active role in our community through clubs and societies” and had “young lives filled with hope, promise, talent, and dreams for the future”.

“Anthony and Daljang were outstanding members of our Essex Rebels men’s basketball first team, Makyle was a talented basketball player who was a member of our BUCS basketball team and Eva undertook several roles in our Essex Blades Dance Club and was active in many other clubs and societies,” she said in a statement.

“Their loss will be felt by their families and closest friends and by all our university community. In classrooms, in halls, in shared moments of laughter and learning – they were part of us, and their absence will be felt profoundly.”

Professor Fasli said the university would share details in the coming days of “a time and place for our university community to gather in remembrance”.

The University of Essex said in a statement “our whole university is in mourning”, adding: “They touched the lives of so many of us at Essex; their friends, classmates, the teams they played for, and the staff with whom they spent time.

“It is impossible to imagine the loss being felt by their families and many friends. Our thoughts are with everyone who knew them at this terrible time.”

Essex Police asked anyone who saw a black Ford Focus being driven along Magdalen Street or in the near vicinity around the time of the crash, or who has any CCTV, dash-cam or doorbell footage, to contact them.

Temporary Assistant Chief Constable Stuart Hooper said: “I want to extend my condolences to the friends and family of Makyle, Eva, Anthony and Daljang.

“This will be an incredibly difficult time for them and we have specialist officers supporting them.

“Our specialist serious collision investigation unit is investigating what led up to the collision but at this stage we do not believe any other vehicles were involved.”

Tributes have been paid to two children who died following a hit-and-run crash in Essex.

Police were called after reports that a boy and a girl were in a collision with a car on Ashlyns in Pitsea around 6.25pm on Saturday and the vehicle failed to stop at the scene.

The youngsters – a nine-year-old girl and a 16-year-old boy – died despite emergency services’ efforts to save them, according to Essex Police.

Around 20 members of the local community, including children, gathered together on Sunday and left tributes, including flowers, at the junction between Ashlyns and Walthams.

One card left by a member of staff at a school read: “I’m so sorry that you have both been taken away, far too young.

“My thoughts and prayers are with everyone that had the joy to know you both, especially your family.”

‘Taken too soon’

Another read: “You were both taken too soon. You will never be forgotten.”

Locals said one of the children was of secondary school age.

A card that appears to have been left by a teacher – alongside a bunch of flowers – paid tribute to “Roman”. It described them as “such a good kid” and a “joy to teach in PE”.

Essex Police have arrested a man and woman on suspicion of causing death by careless driving and failing to stop at the scene.

Both are still in custody.

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Police are appealing for any CCTV, dashcam or other footage related to the incident to contact them.

In a statement on Saturday, Essex Police’s temporary assistant chief constable Stuart Hooper said: “My thoughts are with the friends and family of the girl and boy who have died this evening.

“Specialist officers are supporting them at this truly unimaginably difficult time. Our officers will be carrying out inquiries in the area this evening to establish the circumstances which led up to the collision so if you saw anything or have any information please get in contact.”