The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Fatal hit and run: Police seek mystery man caught on CCTV
APPEAL: Man in camera images could hold key to inquiry into John Ogston’s death
A man who walked past John Ogston at roughly the time he was crushed by a car in Dundee on New Year’s night is being sought by police.
The 67-year-old died after being found seriously injured on Mains Road.
It was originally thought John had been crushed by an unknown vehicle as he lay on the ground at the junction of Bayne Square after leaving the Bowbridge Bar with a female acquaintance.
However, after sifting through more than 1,000 hours of CCTV footage and speaking to more than 200 witnesses, police are now confident he was crushed 200m further up the road at the junction of Main Street and Mains Road, opposite the Bowbridge Bar.
The collision is believed to have occurred in a 55-second period in which the woman left him in the belief he would make his way home.
After finding him on the ground, she helped him further down the road without knowing he had been struck by a vehicle, although she described John as being “severely hunched over”.
The revelation has led police to appeal to speak to another witness, who was not known at the beginning of the investigation. Detective Chief Inspector Iain Wales thinks the man may hold the key to understanding what happened.
He said: “There is one person that we do see on CCTV – unfortunately in poor quality images on a camera that is quite a distance away.
“As John and the female walk from GJ’s pub from Mid Road down towards Bayne Square after the time of the collision, there is a male who walks down that pavement and on to Dens Road.
“He must have walked past John and the female and we’ve not been able to trace him.
“There’s nothing to suggest that person is involved at all but that person may have seen what happened to John while the female had her back turned.
“I would appeal for this person to come forward.”
Police have so far been unable to trace the vehicle which struck John.
Four takeaway workers who came forward after an earlier appeal have been eliminated from inquiries, as has a taxi driver who passed the street near the time of the incident.
Mr Wales said: “Since our inquiries we have pieced together exactly what John’s movements were.
“Our initial investigation looked like John had been involved in a collision at the entrance to Bayne Square in the time his female companion had gone to get assistance for him.
“We are now quite confident that is not the case after reviewing hours and hours of CCTV footage.
“Enhancement of this footage showed there was no vehicle movement at Bayne Square at the time John arrives there.”
The funeral for Mr Ogston, who worked for DC Thomson at the firm’s Kingsway East premises until retiring seven years ago, will be held on Friday.