Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Boy, 2, and his brother, 6, killed in hit-and-run horror
Two arrested after they flee on foot
TWO young brothers have been killed in a horror hit-and-run.
The two-year-old and six-year-old, who have not been named, were struck by a black Ford Focus.
One eyewitness said the boys’ mum was pushing her youngest son in a buggy and holding her other son’s hand at the time of the collision.
Both boys died in hospital, according to police. Officers said a 53-year-old man and a 41-year-old woman were later arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and drink-driving.
Kodie O’farrell posted on social media: “Woman went to cross the road with her 2yr old in a pram and 6yr old holding her hand. A car sped past [and] went over the pushchair.”
Another witness said a “smashed” pushchair and child’s scooter were left lying in the street.
The woman added: “The police had taped the road off and there was debris all over the road.
“It was very sad to see and the fact they ran off and hid makes it a thousand times worse.”
The pair in the car fled through a park after the crash, before hiding in a residential area. One local claimed a man tried to stop the driver fleeing the scene, but was attacked by a woman before they both ran off. Witness Angela Mciron, 75, said: “I came outside to see what was going on. The two people in the car seemed drunk and made a run for it across the field.” Another local said: “Police knocked on my door asking if I’d seen a bald man in his 50s and a mixed-race woman. “I then went out on the road and there were police all over the street and dogs. “We all helped in the search for them and suddenly the search focused on the park. Police had to cut their way through a gate to access the parkland and then emerged with the suspects in handcuffs. “The man was trying to fight with the officers and get away. The woman was really loud and seemed drunk.”
Det Sgt Paul Hughes described the horrific hit-and-run, in Coventry, West Mids, as “a parent’s worst nightmare”.
He said: “We are still trying to establish how this tragic incident happened.
“This is a parent’s worst nightmare and it’s impossible to imagine their grief.”
Locals said people were reduced to tears after witnessing the aftermath.
Wendy Baker posted on Facebook: “It was awful to see such pain in the family and tiny kiddies.
“I picked up their little shoes and hats. My heart breaks for them. In a blink of an eye that driver destroyed a family.”