11-year-old boy killed in Manchester hit-and-run, man in custody on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving

An 11-year-old boy who is thought to have been cycling close to his home has been killed in a hit-and-run incident in Manchester.

Taylor Schofield died in hospital following the collision, which happened at around 6.10pm yesterday evening on Albert Street in Beswick.

Police discovered a Volkswagen Golf thought to have been involved in the incident abandoned nearby, and a 31-year-old man subsequently handed himself in to a local police station and has been arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving.

A post on Facebook by Greater Manchester Police yesterday evening suggested that the boy was on foot at the time, although a report in the Manchester Evening News said that as officers carried out their investigation at the scene, a bicycle could be seen lying in the road.

Today, a BBC News report said that neighbours believed that Taylor was on his bike at the time of the fatal collision.

One said: “I didn't know the lad to talk to but he loved my dog and would always stroke him. You would see him every day at the shop on his bike. It's so tragic."

Police Constable Karl Horner from Greater Manchester Police’s Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said: “This was a tragic incident in which a young boy lost his life, and my thoughts are with his family at this unimaginably difficult time.

“We have a man in custody, but our enquiries continue as we work to establish the full circumstances which led to this collision.

“If you think you saw the driver of the grey VW Golf around the time of the collision, or if you witnessed what happened, then please get in touch with us as soon as possible. We are particularly keen to speak to anyone who may have dashcam footage of the incident or the events leading up to it.”

Anyone who has information is requested to call GMP’s Serious Collision Investigation Unit on 0161 856 4741 quoting reference number 1642 of 12/01/2019, or the charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

The fatality comes on a weekend when, in an interview with the Guardian, Greater Manchester’s cycling and walking commissioner, Chris Boardman, outlined his plans to make the city region’s streets safer for people on foot and on bike.

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