Arrest in Walsgrave after pedestrians and cyclist struck by car

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Officers have appealed for witnesses and information



A man has been arrested after three people were seriously injured when they were struck by a car in separate incidents in Coventry.

West Midlands Police said two pedestrians were hit in Gosford Street at 08:00 BST on Sunday, before a cyclist was struck in Woodway Lane.

The car then crashed into a house in Beckbury Road, where a man was held at about 09:00.

The arrested man is helping police with their inquiries.

A force spokesperson said: "It's believed that the car has been involved in several collisions before colliding into a house on Beckbury Road."

Gosford Street, Woodway Lane and surrounding roads will be closed as officers investigate.

Police have appealed for witnesses.

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That's actually FAR Gosford Street (everything beyond the river).

Also the pedestrians were struck in two separate incidents.

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Two people sadly confirmed dead



Two people have died after a series of collisions involving the same car in Coventry this morning.

A 44-year-old pedestrian, who was struck on Gosford Street at about 8am, and a cyclist hit on Woodway Lane in Walsgrave a short time later, were rushed to hospital.

Despite the best efforts of critical care staff, both died of their injuries. A second pedestrian who was struck in Gosford Street suffered injuries not believed to be life-threatening.

Officers from the drones team and dog unit were called to search for the suspect when a man made off after the car collided with a house on Beckbury Road, which adjoins Woodway Lane.

A 33-year-old man was located on Beckbury Road at around 9am. He is currently being questioned in connection with the collisions, police said.

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Cyclist killed in crash named as 'loving' dad-of-two and NHS worker



Tributes have been paid to a 'loving' father-of-two who was killed after being hit by a car in Coventry. Cyclist Joel Carreido was struck by a vehicle on Woodway Lane.

Mr Carreido, 47, was tragically confirmed dead shortly after the fatal collision on Sunday (September 3). Officers say they are doing all they can to support his family following the tragedy.

Joel joined University Hospital Coventry in 2017, working on Ward 40 (Care of the Elderly) before moving to Ward 32 (Gastroenterology) a few months ago. He was said to have a 'passion for caring for others' which shone through in his work at UHCW.

In a heartfelt tribute, his family said: “Joel was a loving husband and father of two, who worked extremely hard as a 'Healthcare Assistant' at University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire. He will be missed dearly by all who knew him.

“We thank all of the community for their continued support during this very difficult time. May he rest in peace and God bless his soul.”

Professor Andy Hardy, Chief Executive Officer at University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust added: “Everyone at the UHCW Trust is shocked and saddened by this tragic news. His passion for caring for others shone through in everything he did and he left a lasting impression on the patients and families he came into contact with.

“While his work was a huge source of pride, it was evident to everyone who knew Joel that the role he enjoyed the most was being a loving husband and a father to his two cherished children. Joel will be sorely missed by us all and our thoughts are with his friends and family at this difficult time.”

A 44-year-old pedestrian, who is yet to be named, also died after being hit on Gosford Street. Officers say they are in the process of contacting his next of kin following the tragic events that unfolded on Sunday, September 3.

Today, West Midlands Police confirmed that a 33-year-old man has been sectioned under the Mental Health Act. He was detained on Beckbury Road shortly after the fatal collisions on Sunday.

A spokesman for West Midlands Police said: “We have created an online portal where people can upload any CCTV, video footage or provide information that could help our investigations. You can do this via: https://mipp.police.uk/operation/20HQ23N72-PO1.”

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Second victim named after fatal crash in Coventry



A heartbroken family paid tribute to an 'amazing' son who died in a collision in Coventry. Leo Moran was one of two men killed when they were struck by the same car on Sunday, September 3.

Mr Moran, 44, died after being hit by the vehicle on Gosford Street. He was confirmed dead shortly after the fatal collision, which happened at around 8am.

Today, his family released a statement in which they said the 44-year-old brought 'fun and laughter to everyone.' Officers from West Midlands Police were supporting his loved ones following the tragedy.

A family statement said: “We are completely heartbroken at the loss of Leo, who was taken from us so soon. Leo was an amazing son, brother, uncle and friend to so many, he brought so much laughter and fun to all of our lives.

“We are now giving the police time to give us the answers that we will need to understand how and why this happened.”

A spokesman for West Midlands Police said: “We are not looking for anyone else in connection with what happened, and from the information we have this is not being treated as terror-related. Our enquiries are continuing and anyone who can assist is asked to contact us via Live Chat on our website, or by calling 101, and quote log 854 of 3/9/23."

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Man charged with murders of two men hit by car



A man has been charged with the murders of two men who were struck by a car in separate incidents on the same day.

Pedestrian Leo Moran [pictured left], 44, and 47-year-old cyclist Joel Carriedo [pictured right] were both hit by the same vehicle in Coventry on 3 September, police said.

Mr Moran was struck on Gosford Street while Mr Carriedo was struck on Woodway Lane.

Emiljano Kasaj, 33, of no fixed address, is charged with two counts of murder and the attempted murder of a third man who was injured after being hit by the vehicle.

Mr Kasaj appeared at Coventry Magistrates' Court on Tuesday and is due to appear at Warwick Crown Court on 9 September.

A spokesperson for West Midlands Police said the incident was not being treated as terror-related and added that officers were supporting the victims' families.

In a tribute, Mr Carriedo's family said: "Joel was a loving husband and father-of-two, who worked extremely hard as a healthcare assistant at University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire.

"He will be missed dearly by all that knew him. We thank all of the community for their continued support during this very difficult time. May he rest in peace and God bless his soul."

Prof Andy Hardy, chief executive of the hospital trust, said his "passion for caring for others shone through in everything he did".

Mr Moran's family have previously said they had been left "completely heartbroken at the loss of Leo, who was taken from us so soon".

"Leo was an amazing son, brother, uncle and friend to so many, he brought so much laughter and fun to all of our lives." they added.

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Man sentenced over hit-and-runs that killed two



A man has been sentenced after two men were killed and a third was seriously injured in a series of hit-and-runs on the same day.

Emiljano Kasaj, 34, of no fixed address, was given a life sentence with a minimum of nine years and four months over the crashes in Coventry on 3 September 2023.

Pedestrian Leo Moran, 44, and cyclist Joel Carriedo, 47, were killed in the rampage. A third man, Andy Agyemang, was seriously injured.

In court on Monday, a psychiatrist said evidence suggested Kasaj was "acutely psychotic" and "suffering paranoid delusions" at the time of the offence.

Kasaj, who the court heard was an Albanian migrant already on bail for alleged immigration offences, was sentenced at Warwick Crown Court on Monday.

"None of the evidence about your mental state detracts from the seriousness of what you did," Judge Akhlaq Choudhury said.

"You committed horrendous crimes on that day against innocent victims."

Kasaj was given a hybrid sentence - a hospital order alongside the prison term - meaning he will be detained in a health facility and only transferred to prison if deemed well enough.

He is currently being held in a secure mental health facility, West Midlands Police said.

Mr Moran was hit on Gosford Street while Mr Carriedo was hit on Woodway Lane, police said.

In a statement read out at court on Monday, Mr Moran's mother Teresa said she felt "enraged, exhausted and lost" after her son's death.

Mr Carriedo's wife Marilyn said in a statement she felt heartbroken every day after losing her "wonderful, caring and supportive" husband.

She added that their children's lives had been shattered and she suffered from flashbacks.

Kasaj received the life sentence for two counts of manslaughter, plus a 10-year sentence for one count of attempted murder to be served concurrently. He previously pled guilty to all three charges.

In court on Monday, prosecuting lawyer Peter Grieves-Smith said Kasaj had left Albania in 2022 and had been bailed to an address in Coventry after being arrested for immigration offences.

Mr Grieves-Smith added that Kasaj had been due to appear at an immigration centre in Solihull that December but failed to do so.

Kasaj's defence lawyer, Jeremy Dein KC, said the defendant felt remorse for the crashes and had no previous convictions, adding that his responsibility was at the lower end of the scale because he was prone to acute psychotic episodes.

He initially faced two murder charges but they were changed to manslaughter on grounds of diminished responsibility.