Man arrested on suspicion of murder after 16-year-old hit by car on pavement

Yahoo

2 days ago

A 20-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a teenager who was an 'entirely innocent bystander' was hit by a car which appeared to mount the pavement, police have said.
Graphic CCTV footage of the incident in the Darnall area of Sheffield appears to show the car veer into the opposite carriageway before hitting the 16-year-old at speed.
South Yorkshire Police said on Thursday that a man had been arrested in Kent on suspicion of murder.
Three people – a 45-year-old woman and two men aged 26 and 46 – have been arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender, the force said.
All four remain in custody.
Detectives said they believe a grey Audi drove towards three electric bikes, colliding with one rider, who suffered serious injuries which are not thought to be life-threatening.
The Audi then collided with the teenager and failed to stop at the scene, officers said.
Detective Chief Inspector Benjamin Wood said: 'This is a tragic incident in which an entirely innocent bystander, who was going about his daily business, has sadly lost his life.
'Our thoughts are with the boy's loved ones and we remain focused on securing justice for them.'
Mr Wood said: 'We know that this incident will have caused concern in the local community, and we have a team of detectives working at pace to piece together the circumstances which unfolded.
'We're aware of footage being shared online and I'd like to reiterate our message to the public to withhold from speculating or circulating videos which may cause distress to the boy's family.
Detective Chief Inspector Benjamin Wood said: 'This is a tragic incident in which an entirely innocent bystander, who was going about his daily business, has sadly lost his life.
'If you have any footage, imagery or information that may help our investigation then please share this directly with us, it may form an important part of our inquiries.
'We are also keen to hear from the riders of two electric bikes who were in the area at the time of the incident.'
Officers were called to reports of a road traffic collision on Staniforth Road shortly after 4.50pm on Wednesday.
Mojid Khan said the boy came to rest at the gates of his Staniforth Road wholesale catering business, and his staff were the first on the scene after hearing the collision.
He said he arrived half an hour later and was shocked to see what his CCTV system had recorded.
Mr Khan said on Thursday: 'When it happens on your doorstep, literally, it does affect you. It's quite horrific to see how it happens.'
He said: 'I think it's a local lad that's passed away and another local lad that got injured on a motorbike. It's shocking for us as a community.
'The disturbing thing is that this is not the first time that this has happened. It seems every few months something like this is going on.
'I think that's a matter for our politicians to do something about.'
He said: 'Tomorrow is our Eid festival. That's going to hit them (the boy's family) even harder.
'It should be a happy day. I'm really sad for the family. Their loss is going to be that much greater tomorrow.'
Mr Khan said people used the road outside his business 'like a racetrack', and there were increasing problems with quad bikes and scooters.
'I have children in this area who go to school, who go to work, and other family members going to the local shops,' he said.
'It's quite distressing and disturbing to know this kind of thing is happening on a regular basis.'
Mr Khan said it was a close-knit community, in which he had worked since 1978, but speeding motorists and gang problems had begun to blight the area in recent years.
People began to lay flowers outside Mr Khan's business as the large police presence in the area dispersed on Thursday.
Debris from the collision could still be seen in the road, at the junction between Staniforth Road and Barnardiston Road.