WITNESSES have been urged to come forward after an elderly Bangor man with learning disabilities was the victim of a hit and run incident.
Brian Denny was thrown into the air when he was stuck by a car travelling at speed on Primrose Street last week, causing him serious, and potentially life changing, injuries to his leg.
The driver of the vehicle sped off after the incident, leaving the 69 year-old, who lives in an assisted-living apartment with Mencap, on the road with multiple open fractures and a head injury.
Currently in hospital, Brian faces a number of major surgeries on his leg to repair the damage and should he not be able to get back onto his feet, his independence could change forever as he faces moving to a care home.
Unfortunately no witnesses have yet come forward about the incident which occurred at Primrose Street in Bangor, on October 2, around 10.50am.
Brian’s nephew, Adam, has made a plea to anyone who could help to come forward to the police to assist them with their investigations about the incident.
As next-of-kin, Adam had been trying to ensure a clean bill of health for his uncle, to help him keep his independence at the assisted-living accommodation for as long as possible, however he now says Brian’s life was ‘changed overnight’.
“These could be life changing injuries. If he can’t walk or get up and look after himself he will have to be moved from assisted living to a care home,” Adam said.
Talking about the incident, Adam, who lives in Ballyhalbert, explained that Brian had been in the town as normal when he crossed the road that morning.
After the incident occurred, two young women stayed with Brian until the authorities and ambulance arrived.
One of the women said she heard a loud bang and when she looked to see what it was, saw that Brian was airborne.
“Once she realised what happened the car sped away and she said it happened that fast she didn’t see the car make, model, colour or anything,” Adam stated.
“Brian is in hospital at the moment, he is getting another few surgeries to get the leg sorted out but he hasn’t been able to stand up yet.”
Although the police made an appeal for information last week after the incident, no witnesses have yet come forward.
This has left Adam ‘disappointed and angry’, feeling that more could be done to find the person responsible, adding that his uncle, who is non-communicative, was left without a voice.
He said: “I find it very hard to believe in this day and age with ring doorbells, CCTV and dashcams that they can’t, despite knowing what time it was, track a vehicle round Bangor city centre.”
Speaking to the driver responsible for the incident, Adam said that if other driving offences were involved, such as drink driving or driving without insurance, they still should not have sped off.
“My goodness, no matter what, you wouldn’t leave an animal lying at the side of the road,” he said.
“If you had no insurance, or drink in you or whatever was involved, you have a duty of care to stop and help somebody and not just to drive off.
“The consequences are beyond the point. It doesn’t matter what law you’ve broken. If you’ve hit a person you have to have the decency to pull over and hand yourself in and deal with it from there!”
A police spokesperson said: “Enquiries are ongoing and this is being treated as a hit and run incident.
“Officers are attempting to gather CCTV footage of the incident and police would appeal to anyone who may have witnessed the incident, or who may have dash cam or CCTV footage that could assist with the investigation, to contact officers in Newtownards on 101 quoting reference number 578 – 02/10/23.”
A report can be made using the online reporting form via: www.psni.police.uk/makeareport. Information can also be provided to Crimestoppers anonymously on: 0800 555 111 or online at: www.crimestoppers-uk.org.