POLICE ARE issuing a renewed appeal for witnesses to an incident near Thames Magistrates Court in Bow Road – or members of the public who may be able to identify a possible suspect – to come forward.
At around 5pm on Friday, 3rd July a bicycle collided with an elderly pedestrian – who later died. The pedestrian was later named as Peter McCombie, 72. He suffered head injuries in the collision and was taken to hospital, where he died on 11th July.
The cyclist did not stop after the collision, and police are now trying to identify and find him. Now police have issued a CCTV image of the cyclist they believe may be the person they are trying to find.
Detective Inspector Julie Trodden, who is leading the investigation, said, “I am appealing to anyone who recognises this man or saw him leaving the scene to call police. This man cycled off from the scene, but from photos we can see he abandoned his cycle and then ran off. If anyone knows the location of this bike please tell us, it is vital evidence. Any information you can give, even if it is just the street where you saw him, could be crucial.
“I am also appealing to anyone who was in the area at around 5pm on Friday, 3rd July and who witnessed this collision, or the events immediately prior to and after the collision, to contact the police. I am particularly keen to speak to any road users who have dash or helmet cam footage of these events; this could prove to be crucial to establishing exactly what happened.
“Finally, I would appeal directly to the cyclist involved – please come forward to assist this investigation but, more importantly, to provide answers to the victim’s family who are grieving the tragic loss of a loved one. Although Peter was in his 70s, he was still active and continued to work beyond the retirement age, and would have continued to do so, had it not been for this heart-breaking incident.”
●Witnesses or anyone who has any information which may assist police is asked to contact the Serious Collision Investigation Unit on 020-8597 4874 and quote reference CAD 5779/3 July. Alternatively you can contact Crimestoppers on 0800-555 111 and give information anonymously.
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