Manhunt after pedestrian killed in hit-and-run at traffic light

A police manhunt is underway after a pedestrian was killed in a hit-and-run on a busy A road in Kent.

Kent Police were called to the A289 Gads Hill in Gillingham at around 12.10pm on Monday following a serious collision involving a male pedestrian and a grey Mercedes estate car.

The victim was declared dead at the scene by paramedics.

Officers believe two men may be connected to the incident and have urged anyone with information to contact the police.

Drones were seen flying over the area and police dogs were used to locate the suspects thought to be hiding in nearby woodland. Roads were cordoned off by blue police tape.

A baseball hat and a shoe believed to belong to the victim were left at the scene.

Witnesses claimed the victim was carried for a fair distance on the car’s bonnet.

A car was recovered from the scene and was seen being loaded onto a pick-up truck.

Gillingham resident Tony Cottenden, who captured a photo of police cars on the A289, described the incident as ‘just a little baffling’.

Tony, 41, who owns a gym, told Metro: ‘I was on my way back from Top Condition Personal Training after a workout out and I always use the lower Rainham Road when it’s actually open, and the police blocked off Eastcourt Lane and the lower Rainham Road, which I thought was strange.

‘I needed to get my son from Bluewater, so when I was coming down Yokosuka Way, I saw (the police)blocked off the roundabout going into Rainham.’

He also said he saw a ‘heavy police presence stopping cars going down Lower Rainham Road and then stopping all the cars from the Strand onwards’.

Road closures remain on Pier Road between The Strand and Gads Hill after motorists experienced severe delays in the area on Monday.

Detective Inspector Zoe Wilczek has urged anyone with CCTV footage or information about the incident to contact the police.

In a statement, she said:’While we appreciate that the quality of these images isn’t crystal clear, we are still in the early stages of our investigation and thank everyone who has provided images and witness accounts so far.

‘We urge anyone with relevant information regarding the incident or these men to get in touch with us.’

‘Anyone with dashcam or CCTV footage showing a grey Mercedes estate car should submit the footage here.

Metro has contacted South East Coast Ambulance for comment.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

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