Floral tributes were left at the scene of the crash as police appealed for the driver to come forward
Longmoor Lane in Fazakerley this morning(Image: Liverpool Echo)
Neighbours have paid tribute to an 81 year-old woman who was killed by a hit-and-run driver. Emergency services were called to Longmoor Lane at around 4.15pm on Friday, December 5, following reports a dark-coloured vehicle had hit a pedestrian near the junction with Third Avenue.
Police said the woman, who lived locally, is believed to have gone out to a nearby shop when she was struck by the car in Fazakerley. She suffered serious injuries and was taken to Aintree Hospital but died a short time later.
The vehicle and its driver have not yet been found. Officers are examining local CCTV to identify the car which may show signs of damage from the crash. This morning, one set of flowers had been left outside the Hung Wan chippy, close to where the crash happened.
By this evening, they had been moved to outside the Avenue Lounge bar on Longmoor Lane, where they had been placed next to another set of flowers. People on nearby streets who knew the woman told the ECHO they were still coming to terms with what had happened.
One woman said: “She was my neighbour, so we’re obviously aware of what’s happened. It’s really sad.”
Another neighbour said the woman was from “a good family”.
Another woman said: “She went out to buy a pint of milk. It just shows that you should live each day as if it’s your last. You never know what’s around the corner. It’s terribly sad.”
A third woman said: “I didn’t see anything. All I know is that she lived on the same street as me.”
A woman walking on Longmoor Lane said: “My hairdresser thought it was me. They said they were relieved when they saw me this morning. It’s so sad to hear.”
Another elderly woman, who lives on Fourth Avenue, said: “People have spoken about it but I didn’t know her. It’s so sad isn’t it?”
Floral tributes left outside the Avenue Lounge bar this evening(Image: Liverpool Echo)
Police have been knocking on the doors of houses on neighbouring streets, according to local residents. One man, who lives on Fourth Avenue, said: “The police have been round already. They said there were two eye witnesses who saw what happened.”
When the ECHO arrived at the scene earlier this morning, two police cars guarded a large cordon, shop shutters were down and the community was in silence – a contrast from the night before when “chaos” descended on the area.
Residents recalled hearing sirens and flashing blue lights as emergency services swarmed the quiet community. One person, who lives on Third Avenue, was on his way home from work when “eight” police cars raced past him.
He said: “As I got to the top of our street there was blue lights everywhere. She was hit directly in the middle of the road, our street was cordoned off completely. The guy fled down our street that’s why it’s cordoned off I think. Our street is bad for people flying down it, we have trouble all the time.”
One woman was heading to B&M at the time of the hit and run and recalled seeing “swarms” of blue lights. She said: “It was dark and heavy rain at the time so I couldn’t see what was going on but I could see something in the road. It’s a really bad road for being congested, there’s always cars going up and down flying about. It’s really bad.”
Merseyside Police officers at the scene last night(Image: Liverpool Echo)
Shortly after 10am this morning, Merseyside Police lifted the cordon on Third Avenue and the ECHO spoke to residents who had been “locked down” since Friday night while enquiries were ongoing.
One person said: “I hadn’t heard the accident. I just saw all the blue lights and came out to see all the chaos, but nobody knew anything at that time. I saw on the ECHO later last night that it’d been a hit and run.
“Hopefully they find the driver responsible, it’s awful. Our street has been in lockdown until this morning, I have no idea who she, we just know she’s local.”
Superintendent Siobhan Russell said: “I would appeal to anyone who may have any information to come forward. The 81-year-old victim had only popped out to shops and now her family are trying to come to terms with her loss. Specialist officers are providing them with support at this tragic time.
“At this stage of the investigation the full circumstances of the incident are still being established and I would like to take this opportunity for the driver of the car to search their conscience and come forward.
“I would also like to appeal to anyone who has any information which could help us identify the driver to come forward.
“We also want to find the car which may have sustained damage as a result of the collision and may have been parked up or even abandoned.”
Anyone who witnessed the collision or captured anything on CCTV or dashcam is asked to contact Serious Collision Investigation Unit on (0151) 777 5747, or email SCIU@merseyside.police.uk quoting 0620 of 5 December.
Alternatively DM @MerPolCC or report information via the website: https://www.merseyside.police.uk/ro/report/ocr/af/how-to-report-a-crime/
Reports can also be made @CrimestoppersUK on 0800 555 111, quoting reference 0620 of December 5.