COVENTRY MESSAGE BOARD

The 29-year-old was trapped between a Vauxhall Zafira and a parked Ford Fiesta on Longford Road



Police have launched an urgent appeal for witnesses to a collision in Coventry on Tuesday which has resulted in a man needing to have his leg amputated.

The 29-year-old pedestrian was trapped between a Vauxhall Zafira and a parked Ford Fiesta on Longford Road by the Star Fish Bar just before 6pm on December 3.

Police said the horrific collision happened after the driver of a Mercedes Vito van changed their mind about turning right into Hurst Road.

They switched lanes, hitting the passing Zafira shunting it into the Fiesta.

Police have revealed the Vito, bearing a cloned registration plate of KU09 CEK, immediately drove off and was found abandoned and burnt out in Grindle Road.

The occupants of the Zafira, also on cloned plates of FM57 KRG, gathered their belongings from the vehicle and also made off, leaving the victim lying in the road.

Detective Sergeant Paul Hughes, from West Midlands Police's Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said: “This was a truly horrific incident where an innocent pedestrian has been left with life-changing injuries by motorists who had not a care for how badly he was hurt.

“We need to hear from anyone who can help us trace the drivers of these two cars, or anyone who has dash cam footage of the incident.”

Hit-and-run victim dies in hospital



A chip shop worker has told how a young man had his life cut short in a hit-and-run just seconds after buying food and walking outside onto the street.

Caner Kockiri heard “a scream and a bang” after the 29-year-old customer bought some chips and left Star Fish Bar on Longford Road on Tuesday (December 3).

Caner immediately ran outside to find the injured man lying in the street, and along with other passers-by, tried to offer what help and reassurance he could.

The man, who has not been named by police, died in hospital on Thursday night.

Police are now hunting the occupants of two vehicles involved who all fled the scene leaving their victim in the street.

Caner told CoventryLive: “The gentleman came in to buy some chips, which we gave to him, and then he went outside to the right of the shop. There was a parked vehicle in front of the shop and he was stood in front of it as he waited to cross. I heard a scream and a bang and I ran outside. It didn’t look good.

“The traffic stopped and a lot of people gathered round and called an ambulance. I crouched down to see the gentleman and I could see he was in shock, I said, ‘the ambulance is coming mate’.

“The ambulance came really quickly and took him away, it was very sad.”

Caner asked other bystanders where the drivers were, and was shocked to find out they had left the scene after the incident on Tuesday evening.

The man, who has not been named by police...

Man who died in 'horrific' hit and run is named



The man who died following a ‘horrific’ hit and run which happened in Coventry on Tuesday night has been named.

West Midlands Police have confirmed that the man who died was Aaron Wilson, aged 29.

He suffered multiple serious injuries after being trapped between two vehicles on Longford Road.

Medics were forced to amputate his leg but on Thursday night Mr Wilson died in hospital.

Family and friends gathered at the scene of the hit and run collision on Saturday afternoon to place floral tributes and photographs of Mr Wilson.

Scores of people attended the event and bottles of beer and glasses of whiskey were distributed to those attending to raise a toast to Mr Wilson, who was described as a “wonderful” family member and friend”.

One of those attending was a man who had rushed out of a neighbouring pizza restaurant when he heard the collision and called an ambulance.

The collision which saw Mr Wilson lose his life was described as “truly horrific” by the police.

Teen arrested after Coventry hit and run death

A 16-year-old has been arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving, after an incident which left a Coventry man dead last week.

Aaron Wilson died in hospital, days after being struck by a vehicle on Longford Road, on December 3.

Today, police have revealed that a teenage boy has been arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving.

The 16-year-old has since been released pending investigation, while enquiries continue.

West Midlands Police has also confirmed that a new witness has been spoken to.

It comes after an appeal from Aaron's family earlier this week.

Charges dropped against three people in investigation into death of Coventry dad Aaron Wilson



All charges have been dropped against two men and a teenager in an investigation into the death of Coventry dad Aaron Wilson. Aaron Wilson, 29, died in hospital two days after a horrific crash outside the Star Fish Bar on Longford Road on December 3, 2019.

A fourth person, aged 17 when he was charged in 2021, has admitted one count of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice and aggravated vehicle taking without the owner's consent.

Danny Considine, 38, from Mount Pleasant Road, Bedworth, was charged with causing death by careless driving and causing death whilst disqualified from driving in January 2021, more than a year after Mr Wilson's death. William John McDonagh, 27, of Luscombe Road, Henley Green, was charged around the same time with conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.

Two teenagers, both aged 17 at the time, were charged with conspiracy to pervert the course of justice and aggravated vehicle taking without the owner’s consent. Charges against one of the teens have been dropped while another has pleaded guilty, the Crown Prosecution Service said.

A CPS spokesperson said: "We are under a continuing duty to review our cases when new information is received. Following further evidence, we reviewed the case against Mr Considine and Mr McDonagh and concluded that the legal test for a prosecution was not met and the case was stopped."

At the time of the crash, Aaron's heartbroken family had made a plea for information at an emotional press conference arranged by West Midlands Police. Aaron's daughter Leila was only three years old at the time.

"It's the first time she has really understood what Christmas is and it's heartbreaking because I want her to be excited," Aaron's partner Katie Robertson had said.

Katie described Aaron as '‘an amazing father, partner, son, brother and friend", and said the lives of everyone in the family changed forever when they received a call from police about the incident.