A pedestrian was knocked down and killed before the driver abandoned the vehicle and left it on fire in a ‘very serious incident’ yesterday evening.
The alleged murderer is still at large, with no arrests yet made and the road in Harlow still sealed off as police try to work out what happened.
The victim was a man in his twenties, who was walking on a cycle path near the Harefield Church on Morples Road in Essex around 5.30pm yesterday.
The vehicle is thought to have come off the road and hit him, before being abandoned a short distance away in an underpass at the Clock Tower Roundabout.
Essex Police said: ‘With the help of firefighters, the fire was extinguished and this vehicle has been forensically seized.
‘We are investigating the possibility that this incident is linked to the theft of a black Ford Fiesta in nearby Pennymead, Harlow, reported to us earlier that day at around 4pm.’
The man’s family have been informed.
Detective Inspector Alison Hooper said: ‘At the centre of this incident is a person who has lost their life in terrible circumstances.
‘We are supporting a grieving family.
‘I have a dedicated team working hard to establish the sequence of events which led to this fatal collision and this investigation is making progress.
‘We’re particularly keen to hear from anyone who may have seen the vehicles in question in the Harlow area in the hours leading up to this collision.
‘I appreciate this is a very serious incident which will cause concern in Harlow, but I’d ask that the public refrain from any unhelpful speculation which could cause further upset.
‘We will continue to update on the progress of our investigation.
‘For now I would urge anyone with information which could assist us to please come forward.’
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