Dental surgeon Tom Wallace named as victim of Gillingham hit-and-run after two men appear in court
Tributes have been paid to a "respected and loved" grandfather who died in a hit-and-run tragedy. Tom Wallace has been named as the victim of the incident which took place on the A289 Gads Hill in Gillingham at around 12.10pm on December 29.
Two men have been charged following the death of the dad-of-three and appeared in court today. Paying tribute to the dental surgeon, who worked in the Medway Towns for all his working life, his family said "he deserved a better end to his life than this".
The pedestrian was carried on the roof of a Mercedes estate car for 1.5 miles before he was found fatally injured in the road. A postman and nearby resident rushed to his aid, and an ambulance crew arrived to treat him, but he was later pronounced deceased at the scene. He was struck by a car near the junction of Gads Hill and Waterside Lane.
The family said: "The residents and postman who tried to help in Grange Road were compassionate and kind.
Our thanks and appreciation go out to them." Mr Wallace, who had been married for 63 years, was a dad-of-three, grandfather-of-four and a recent great-grandad.
The family said: "He loved his family dearly and was loved by them in return. He sailed his boat up and down the east coast, and across the Channel to France, usually single-handed.
"For years, he was a bell-ringer at the church on Gillingham Green. He was a Samaritan for many years, raised money for the NSPCC and undertook several European cycling tours to raise funds for Marie Curie. "He was a respected and loved member of the community and deserved a better end to his life than this.
Two suspects, who are alleged to have left the Mercedes in Eastcourt Lane before leaving the area on foot, were arrested the same night, while the third man was arrested the following day (December 30).
Yesterday (January 1), Albert Matraxhiu, 28, of Orange Hill Road, Edgware, was charged with causing death by dangerous driving. Erald Paci, 29, of Five Way Court, Chatham, was charged with perverting the course of justice. Both men are Albanian nationals and were remanded to appear in court today (January 2).
Police are continuing to appeal for further witnesses and footage that may assist their investigation.
Anyone with information should call 01622798538 or email [email protected] quoting reference EW/LB/093/25.
Motorists with dashcam and residents with relevant CCTV footage can upload it here.[1]