Family of Ilkeston hit-and-run victim issue plea for help
THE family of a man who died after a hit-and-run incident have issued a heartfelt plea for the driver of the car involved to come forward.
Paul Davis, 37, was found lying in Corporation Road, Ilkeston in the early hours of Sunday, August 10, and was taken to Nottingham's Queen's Medical Centre, where he was pronounced dead.
Police believe he was already lying in the road when he was hit by the car, which has not yet been identified.
Now, his mother, brother and sisters have spoken for the first time about how his death has affected the family in the hope of persuading witnesses to come forward.
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Mr Davis's mum, Pauline Davis, lives in Corporation Road and said she had not been able to walk past the spot where her son was found since his death.
She said: "Even though Paul has been laid to rest, we don't feel as if we can move forward with our lives until we know exactly what happened that night.
"If he had fallen down and hit his head and died as a result of that we could accept that, but what happened was horrendous. We just don't understand.
"There are so many unanswered questions, we just want the person responsible to come forward and give us the answers – we need that closure."
She said the last time she saw her son was on the Saturday before his death, when he went shopping in Ilkeston with fiancee Joanne Cook.
The couple normally went out together but, on Saturday night, Paul went out for a drink with his friends for the first time in a year. His mum said the family had no idea how he came to lie the road.
Mr Davis's sister Debbie Rooney, 40, described him as a loving and caring man who loved walking his dogs.
She said: "He would help anyone and he didn't have any enemies.
"The person who hit him was responsible enough to get in a car that night and we just want them to be responsible enough to come forward now."
Sister Karen Brownless, 42, added: "Whoever it was, they probably have a family, too, and we just want them to put themselves in our position. Wouldn't they want to know what had happened?"
Mr Davis worked as a machine operative at Amcor Flexibles, in Ilkeston, and lived in Corporation Road with his fiancee and sons Aiden, 15, Nathan, 17.
His mum said the children and their mother were also desperate for answers and added: "My youngest son, Russell, was only 13 when I lost my husband and it's a difficult time for children at that age. They are helping their mum out and keeping themselves busy."
She said the family were living in hope that a witness to the accident would be found and that by September 29 – which would have been Mr Davis's 38th birthday – they would finally have some answers.
"Every time the phone rings, we hope it is the police with some news. I know it's not going to bring Paul back but I will have more peace of mind."
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