Men arrested after pedestrian killed in Gillingham hit-and-run
A third man has been arrested following the death of a pensioner in a hit-and-run tragedy. A 28-year-old from Edgware, London, joins a 29-year-old from Chatham and a 28-year-old, of no fixed abode, in custody.
The pedestrian, who was in his 80s, 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 in Gillingham around noon yesterday. Two suspects, who are alleged to have left the Mercedes in Eastcourt Lane before leaving the area on foot, were arrested last night, while the third man was arrested today. Grange Road resident Ralph Belmonte said the victim was discovered in the road opposite his house by the postman, who'd previously seen a car being driven nearby with an item on the roof.
When he pulled into Grange Road, he thought he saw the item on the ground, so stopped to move it out of the way.
Mr Belmonte said: "He then saw it was a man. He was absolutely devastated.
"It was distressing. It was surreal, people cannot do things like that.
It was horrible to see the poor bloke lying there. "The air ambulance landed in the field nearby, and they had drones and police dogs searching. "This lane has always been isolated, and there has been some incidents, but nothing to this scale.
"I do not know what has happened to society.
The police and ambulance crews were so quick. There were around 20 cars here. "The emergency response was well coordinated.
It is a shame that things like this happen." Meanwhile, another witness has spoken of how she accidentally found herself in the middle of the incident. The 32-year-old, who asked not to be named, said: "We saw two men who were walking quite close to the road and looked a bit out of breath.
They kept checking behind them. "There are a lot of dog walkers and runners who use that road so we didn't think much of it.
"As we carried on along Eastcourt Lane, we saw a group of people by a Royal Mail van. Someone was doing CPR in the road.
"A young lad was trying to be helpful and wave us past, but we decided to turn around and came across the dumped Mercedes.
"I didn't link it all to the two men until we saw the story on KentOnline yesterday." Last night, police released CCTV of two men they were searching for in connection with the tragedy. One of them appeared to be holding a car licence plate.
They are also appealing for CCTV footage of a grey Mercedes estate car.
Investigating officer Detective Inspector Zoe Wilczek said: "We would like to thank all those who have assisted our investigation so far.
"While we are no longer looking for any further suspects at this time, we are urging anyone who witnessed the incident, or saw the vehicle or pedestrian prior to the collision, to contact us. "We're also asking anyone who may have caught any part of the incident on their dashcams and CCTV, and has not yet got in touch with us, to do so." The incident sparked a major emergency services response with more than 20 police, fire and ambulance vehicles sent to the scene, as well as the air ambulance and police chopper.
Pier Road was closed between The Strand and Lower Rainham Road as was Yokosuka Way.
Speaking this morning, a resident of Gads Hill, close to where the man was hit, said the roads were closed off until around 6pm last night.
She added: "They were cordoned off for hours. I was driving home and saw they had shut the carriageway on the other side. "They could not get out of Waterside Lane.
I understand that it happened at the crossing. It is horrendous." A Waterside Lane resident said their road didn't reopen until after 10pm.
Throughout yesterday afternoon, officers patrolled the area in Eastcourt Lane and Grange Road, where officers were seen searching with a dog.
The ambulance service confirmed they were called around 12.10pm following reports of a serious collision involving a vehicle and a pedestrian.
Several crews, critical care paramedics and the air ambulance attended. Gillingham and Rainham MP Naushabah Khan has released a statement about the tragedy. She said: "My thoughts are with the family, friends, and loved ones affected by this devastating incident.
"I would like to thank the emergency services for their swift and professional response in what were extremely difficult circumstances.
"Following discussions with Kent Police, I can confirm that two individuals are currently in custody as investigations into the incident continue. "I will continue to work closely with residents, Medway Council, and Kent Police to ensure the safety of our community remains at the heart of any next steps." Anyone with dashcam or CCTV footage showing the grey Mercedes estate car is being asked to submit the footage here.
To report information about the collision, please call 01622 798538 quoting reference 29-0481.
You can also contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111 or you can complete their online form.