‘Come on mate, hand yourself in’: Parents’ tearful plea for hit-and-run driver to hand themselves in after their seven-year-old son was hit and killed
- Kent Police confirmed a 49-year-old man from the Dymchurch area was arrested
By Iwan Stone[1] and Elizabeth Haigh[2]
Published: 19:37, 7 December 2023 | Updated: 10:23, 8 December 2023
The parents of a seven-year-old boy who was killed in a hit-and-run as he played with his friends have issued a tearful plea for the driver to hand themselves in, as police arrested a 49-year-old man.
William Brown was wearing his beloved Christiano Ronaldo kit when was knocked down by a car on Sandgate Esplanade in Folkestone, Kent on Wednesday evening, after jumping over the wall to fetch his ball.
Kent Police said the man from the Dymchurch area was taken into custody a day after the fatal collision at 5.35pm. The force says two vehicles were involved in the collision - with one leaving the tragic scene before emergency services could arrive.
Speaking from her seafront home in Sandgate today William's mother, Laura Brown, 41, told how paramedics worked for almost an hour to try and save him, before she lay on the ground next to him after his death was confirmed.
She tearfully begged the driver to speak to police so that she and William's father, William Brown Senior, 34, could 'be at peace and bury Will knowing we got justice for him'. Mr Brown added they have 'already forgiven' the driver, and just want to know what happened.
William Brown was playing with friends in his beloved Cristiano Ronaldo kit when he went to collect his ball and was knocked down by a car on Sandgate Esplanade in Folkestone, Kent last night
William was playing with friends while his mother made him his dinner when he was mowed down
Flowers and messages left at the scene in Sandgate, near Folkestone, where little William was killed
Mrs Brown had already bought her son a toy octopus for Christmas, which she will now put in his coffin.[3]
She said: 'Whoever did this hit Will outside our house and left him in the middle of the road, and then another vehicle hit him.
That second car, the red car, did stop.
'The police are desperately looking for the person who did it. I'm just sad that they left him like that.
'I think he was still alive - the paramedics were working on him for ages. We waited 45 minutes before they pronounced him dead.
I just hope it was quick.
'They put a sheet around us and I just laid down on the floor with him.'
Speaking directly to the driver of the unidentified vehicle, Mrs Brown said: 'To the person that did this, please please come forward so we can be at peace and bury Will knowing we got justice for him.
'Somebody must know something. I'm begging people to come forward so we can lay Will to rest. We're just so broken.
I'm just praying for a miracle.'
William Snr, 34, who is separated from Mrs Brown, added: 'We just want closure. We're not on a witch-hunt to find this man. We just want to know what happened to our son.
'We want the person who did this to come forward on the basis that if he comes forward now it will be a lot more peaceful for all parties - rather than if he gets squeezed out.
'Because he is going to get found out.
You don't get away with things like this. Please just come forward.'
Fighting back tears he also made a video appeal from his little boy's bedroom, urging the driver to contact police so the family 'can work out what happened to our son'.
'If it was you that done it, William Jnr was a beautiful boy and he believed in forgiveness and love, and please, we already forgive you,' he said. 'If it's you, you're feeling guilty, but we really need to know so we can lay our son in peace and know what happened to him.'
Mr Brown held up his son's green football shirt as he filmed the appeal in the young boy's bedroom. Behind him were teddy bears and a neon sign bearing William's name
The youngster was left 'dying in the middle of the road' in Folkestone, Kent
He held up his son's green football shirt as he filmed the appeal in the young boy's bedroom. Behind him were teddy bears and a neon sign bearing William's name.
'People of Folkestone and Hythe, could you please help us,' he said. 'At 5.35pm last night, Wednesday, November 6, we lost our son who was hit in a hit-and-run trying to collect his football.
'Can you please help us?
If you have any information at all, any inkling, or anything you saw when you drove past, or anything at all.'
The grieving father then directly addressed the driver. He said: 'Please reach out to Kent Police so we can work out what happened to our son.'
Paying tribute to Will, Mrs Brown added: 'William was the sweetest, kindest and funniest boy. He was an amazing friend to his friends.
He loved animals, history facts, nature and digging. He loved fossils and dinosaurs. Anything weird and wonderful.
'He loved curiosities and oddities.
He loved taxidermy. He had shark's teeth and spiders, snake skins. He was a very unusual boy.
'For Christmas he wanted an octopus, so I got him a taxidermy one.
He didn't get to see it, it's still wrapped. I'm going to put it in his coffin.
William's father has urged the hit-and-run driver to contact police so the family 'can work out what happened to our son'. The little boy is pictured in an appeal made by his loved ones
One bouquet left at the scene where little William died included a touching note - calling him a 'joyful, handsome and smart little boy'. They added: 'Your giggle fills the room'
Emergency services at the scene of the hit-and-run on Sandgate Esplanade in Folkestone
'He was just always in Will's world. He was too kind for this world.
'If there was a question to ask he had to ask it.
He needed to know the answers to everything.
'He loved football. He supported Manchester United like his dad. But his favourite player of all time was Ronaldo.
He died in his Ronaldo kit.'
Describing the moment Will was hit by a car, beauty therapist Mrs Brown said: 'He was playing with two friends in the front garden. They've played in that garden for years since he was born. He's never once gone over the wall.
'His friend came in and said "Will's been hit by a car".
'He'd jumped over the wall.
It's so strange because he'd never done that before.
'Maybe he was excited by the game and just got totally carried away - I don't know. But he's never done it before - none of those boys have.
'We let them play in the garden because we thought it was safe. The garden should be safe.
I literally ran down there and Will was laying in the middle of the road.
On Thursday touching tributes built up at the scene where he was killed - with bouquets and teddies piled on the pavement.
Laura said William's younger sister Pearl, aged six, is struggling to come to terms with his death.
She added: 'He's got a little sister who's six who just can't understand it. We were just about to have dinner and her dad told her "Will's dead".
'She said "I don't understand it, he's playing football in the garden." She's devastated.
This afternoon touching tributes built up at the scene where he was killed - with bouquets and teddies piled on the pavement
The high street was closed to allow police to carry out accident investigation work before reopening at around 7am today
Locals revealed their horror after the collision involving two vehicles - an unidentified car or van and a red Citroen car
'They were like twins. They were only 13 months apart.
Will adored Pearl from the day she was born.'
Paying tribute to William - who was in year 3 at nearby St Eanswythes Primary School - Mr Brown, who owns a construction company, said: 'Will was a really forgiving boy. He was accepting and loving and patient and kind.
'I honestly think if he was here today, he would probably say "I was just going to get the football dad, I just made a mistake."
'Will has left behind a huge network of friends, school friends, a huge family that loves him. All united because we love him.
'I hope he's up there reading about how much we all love him.'
Laura, step-mother Vicky Phillips, and Pearl, were 'the best of friends' to William.
One bouquet left at the scene where little William died included a touching note - calling him a 'joyful, handsome and smart little boy'.
They added: 'Your giggle fills the room.'
Emergency services rushed to Sandgate Esplanade near the junction with Prospect Road after William was knocked down, but the boy died at the scene despite efforts to save him.
Police say the collision involved two vehicles - an unidentified car or van and a red Citroen car.
The unidentified vehicle left the scene in the direction of Hythe, before the arrival of emergency services.
The high street was closed to allow police to carry out accident investigation work before reopening at around 7am on Thursday.
References
- ^ Iwan Stone (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ Elizabeth Haigh (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ Christmas (www.dailymail.co.uk)