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Police joined by West Bromwich Albion in renewing Adam Jones death hit-and-run appeal

Officers say they have been "inundated" with information, but still seek killer driver who left teen cyclist to die...

Police searching for the hit-and-run driver of a vehicle involved in a collision that killed a teenage cyclist say they have been “inundated” with responses to an appeal for information. The motorist has still not been identified, however, and a fresh appeal will be made at a Premier League football match this afternoon.

Adam Jones, aged 15 and from Wednesbury in the West Midlands, was killed on the evening of Thursday 26 March when he was hit by a dark blue Volkswagen Bora at the junction of Beacon View Road and Walsall Road in West Bromwich.

Police say the vehicle involved was “callously abandoned” as the driver ran off without summoning help for the dying teenager, who had been thrown through the windscreen.

They add that pictures released of it have now been viewed more than a million times through social media, with the hashtag #Justice4adamjones being used.

Like his family, Adam was a fan of local club West Bromwich Albion and images of the vehicle, which has the registration number MA52 XVV, will appear on the big screens at the team’s home match with Queens Park Rangers this afternoon.

Inspector Paul Bennett, of the Collision Investigation Unit, at West Midlands Police, said: “We have been overwhelmed with the response to our appeal and I would like to thank everyone who has contacted us, although I would still urge anyone who has information, no matter how small they think it is to contact us.

"Every piece of information is vital in an enquiry as thorough as this.

“We are continuing to sift through all the information we have as well as conducting a detailed examination of the car which includes a full forensic examination and any evidence will be fast-tracked.”

He added: “Our thoughts remain with Adam’s family and we are determined to find the person responsible for his death to help them come to terms with their loss.

“I would appeal to the driver of the car directly to contact us.”

Anyone who has information is asked to call the Collision Investigation Unit on 101 or the charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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7 comments

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mrmo | 8 years ago
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IF they catch the culprit, i suspect he will get jail time, not because he killed someone but because he was almost certainly driving with no insurance, the failure to stop, i wouldn't be surprised to hear he had no licence. etc.

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Housecathst | 8 years ago
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I'm sure I read somewhere that the vehicle had been sold in the months before the incident but the registered keeper details hadn't been updated.

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vonhelmet replied to Housecathst | 8 years ago
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Housecathst wrote:

I'm sure I read somewhere that the vehicle had been sold in the months before the incident but the registered keeper details hadn't been updated.

Yes, I read that somewhere, though I'm curious as to how you can prove the car was sold if the keeper details haven't been updated.

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jasecd replied to vonhelmet | 8 years ago
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vonhelmet wrote:
Housecathst wrote:

I'm sure I read somewhere that the vehicle had been sold in the months before the incident but the registered keeper details hadn't been updated.

Yes, I read that somewhere, though I'm curious as to how you can prove the car was sold if the keeper details haven't been updated.

Witness accounts from family, neighbours etc. saying that the car had been sold and perhaps proof of a significant bank deposit, all along with a solid alibi when the incident took place.

I really hope they catch this scumbag - so sad.

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OldRidgeback replied to jasecd | 8 years ago
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jasecd wrote:
vonhelmet wrote:
Housecathst wrote:

I'm sure I read somewhere that the vehicle had been sold in the months before the incident but the registered keeper details hadn't been updated.

Yes, I read that somewhere, though I'm curious as to how you can prove the car was sold if the keeper details haven't been updated.

Witness accounts from family, neighbours etc. saying that the car had been sold and perhaps proof of a significant bank deposit, all along with a solid alibi when the incident took place.

I really hope they catch this scumbag - so sad.

I hope they catch the offender. It's a real shame that a young lad has been killed by yet another idiot behind the wheel.

Surely seller will have at least a good description of the person who the vehicle was sold on to? The vehicle should provide DNA information and I expect the driver is probably a low level offender in other respects also (drugs, burglary, mugging and so on).

A point to note, when selling a vehicle privately, always fill in the V5 form and send it in to the DVLC yourself with the details the buyer provides you with. I learned this after a colleague sold an old banger and then was hit with a string of speeding offences that the new owner proceeded to rack up, as the ownership details hadn't been changed.

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jonathing | 8 years ago
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I don't know of it has been explicitly stated but the implication with this is that the car was stolen. The local fish and chip wrapper said that the registered keeper had been questioned but was no longer considered to be a person of interest in the investigation.

I imagine that if they ever do catch the person responsible (and I use the term loosely) they will receive a greater punishment for stealing the car than for using it to kill someone.

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Housecathst | 8 years ago
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The cynic in me thinks what's the point, this family are unlikley to get justice out of a jury made up of motorists.

The driver will offer up some platertude, "the sun was in my eyes" "I had a really really important txt to answer" "I was only doing double the speed limit at the time" "the kid was wearing some black clothing" the list could go on and on.

The jury will shurge their shoulders and go "yeah we all do that" and hand this scum bag back his keys.

I hope I'm wrong.

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