Two men have been arrested following the death of a male pedestrian in his 80s who was struck by a car and carried up to 1.5 miles on top of the vehicle in Gillingham, Kent. Kent Police are questioning the suspects in custody while actively searching for additional individuals captured on CCTV fleeing the scene.
The fatal collision occurred just after midnight on Monday on the A289 Gads Hill. The victim was hit by a grey Mercedes estate car at a pedestrian crossing and carried a considerable distance before being found on Grange Lane in the Medway town. South East Coast Ambulance paramedics treated the man at the scene, but he was later pronounced dead.
A 29-year-old man from Chatham and a 28-year-old man with no fixed address were arrested in connection with the crash. Both remain in custody for questioning.
Investigation and CCTV Evidence
Kent Police released CCTV images showing two hooded men dressed in dark clothing on foot. One of the men appears to be running while carrying a yellow number plate. Detectives are still seeking to identify and locate these individuals.
Detective Inspector Zoe Wilczek acknowledged the limitations of the footage but emphasized its importance: «While we appreciate the quality of these images isn't crystal clear, we are still in the early stages of our investigation and thank everyone who has provided images and witness accounts so far.» She urged anyone with information to contact police.
Witness Account
Resident Ralph Belmonte discovered the victim outside his home, more than a mile from the initial collision point. He told Kent Online the scene was deeply disturbing: «It was distressing. It was surreal, people cannot do things like that. It was horrible to see the poor bloke lying there.»
Belmonte described the emergency response: «The air ambulance landed in the field nearby, and they had drones and police dogs searching.» He noted that while the isolated lane had seen some incidents before, nothing matched this scale.
Police are appealing for anyone with dashcam footage or information to contact them on 01622 798538, quoting reference 29-0481, or to reach out anonymously through Crimestoppers.
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
