Ramsgate mayor Raushan Ara and Ramsgate Town Council have arranged a vigil to pay respect to the victims of a fatal ‘hit and run’ collision in the town last night (August 11).
Two people died and a child was left seriously injured after a Black Alfa Romeo hit five pedestrians, all members of the same family,in Leopold Street at around 9.35pm.
Police said a man in his 80s and a woman in her 30s both sadly died a short time afterwards.
A girl of primary school age also suffered serious injuries and has been taken to a London hospital for treatment. A man in his 40s and a boy of primary school age sustained minor injuries.
The man and woman who died have been named by The Jerusalem Post as Noga Sella (maiden name Hirshfeld) and Yoram Hirshfeld. They are father and daughter. Yoram, who was in the UK to visit the family. They are reported by the Foreign Ministry as being aged 78 and 40.
According to The Jerusalem Post the Foreign Ministry has confirmed officials received details of the accident and consul head Sima Duvdevani is in contact with the victims’ families.
Noga was a Consultant Physicist living in Cambridge with husband Omer and children. Her father Yoram was resident in Israel.
The vigil is due to take place in Leopold Street at 7pm tonight (August 11).
Cllr Ara said: “My thoughts are with the friends and family of those who lost their lives and those injured in the tragic incident last night in Leopold Street, Ramsgate.
“On behalf of the people of Ramsgate I send our sincere condolences to the family who have lost a mother and grandfather. This is an extremely sad and tragic accident which has shocked the local community.
“I would like to thank the emergency services and police for their response. Please join me and other Ramsgate Town Councillors for a vigil at 7pm in Leopold Street.”
A 30-year-old man from Ramsgate was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and leaving the scene of a collision. He is also currently receiving hospital treatment for minor injuries.
Enquiries into the incident are being carried out by officers from the Serious Collision Investigation Unit who are keen to hear from any witnesses, local businesses with CCTV evidence or drivers with relevant dashcam footage.
Please call the appeal line on 01622 798538 quoting reference DS/DGC/090/22.
That’s is so sad and tragic, i hope that the idiot driver probably on drugs or drunk on phone !,gets a life sentence disgraceful
He obviously had something to hide by fleeing the scene of the accident!
As a token of respect, praying with and for the family is the least that we can do. But as I have said so many times before enough is enough. Thanet is a separate area and within its confines we should be able to visit every car and check fo tax, insurance and MOT, together with the registered owner and driver’s licence. People convicted of drug offences to be banned from driving for 5 years .
Enforced speed limit of 20 mph. Make alternative transport methods easier by getting buses to run to a schedule which they currently fail to do yet they still want to cut services. Thanet and Kent have the worst car safety records in the UK. Time to stop talking and protect our families from this slaughter. Politicians and other non active persons in power take note, get off your backsides and act now.
According to motor insurance data, the only road being mentioned is Thanet way and that sits at number 7 in the UK. It may appear that way with such an awful accident but in context, there are other roads in the UK which report more accidents and fatalities.
The imposing of speed restrictions would need careful consideration. Town centre, would definitely benefit but this can hard to patrol without either police or cameras.
The punishment for dangerous road use needs to have a lower threshold. Increase bans, higher insurance, black box technology and speed restriction technology.
This is tragic and my heartfelt condolences go out to their family. The driver deserves to have a minimum of 28 years (14 years for each death) and permanently banned from the roads. No early parole.
Agreed. But as always nobody is listening to the facts. 40/50,mph is a typical speed in Thanet yet where are the cameras and active police?
Everyone’s having meetings and nobody is doing anything
Looking at the money being spent by KCC on junctions and estate speed limits none of it is backed up by before and after accident statistics and therefore a waste of resources. How do we get people with real life experience to manage our communities.
Sad news. A neighbor told me about it.
Everyday this website records an RTA somewhere in Thanet.Many of these incidents involve death and injury.A 23 year old was killed on Tuesday.
Accident statistics are going the wrong way.Since lock down, matters have got worse not better.
I note there is still a libertarian element who point out that the ‘majority of law abiding car owners/drivers should not be punished for the deeds of the few, and there is some truth in that statement;but what do you mean by law abiding?
Not caught maybe. Name me a driver who says they never speed and I will show you a liar. We all know that many of us exceed a speed limit at least once in almost every journey.
I have waited at the bus stop in Leopold Street and watched copious numbers of cars,vans and lorries pick up speed and then brake heavily as they approach the junction with Royal Parade.Why they do it, god only knows?
If motorists don’t want to see a speed camera on every street,they must drive less, expect to drive at 20mph in urban areas, and eventually have telematics installed in every car.Freedom is precious, but so is life!
Never a truer word spoken
Then we’d bring back the sanitoriums for the mentally ill and not have the average of 1 person a week killed by someone suffering from mental illness. We’d tax people who are overweight/obese as a result of the additional pressures they place on the nhs and so restrict services for others who have no control over their illnesses. We ban the keeping of dogs because of the amount of dog mess left on the streets. Ban cats for the toll they take on local wildlife. Lock up or otherwise control the movements of disqualified drivers and prevent the average 180 deaths they cause on the road every year. What do we do to prevent grooming and sexual exploitation of children ?How many of lifes freedoms would you suggest we restrict or legislate in order to prevent the consequences of the actions of the irreponsible few? How many prisons are we going to build? How lomg do we lock up those found guilty of a vilent offence.? Drug users who’s ability to determine right from wrong is impaired? Similarly alcoholics?
I’m not sure how appropriate this is on this article. Can I please respectfully ask that we remember people have died and family members may read this.
Oh ? Ooohhh ? This is the one you find inappropriate ? This one ? We didn’t hear a word out of you when the animal lovers you support marched into the comment section and posted dehumanising personal insults at the non animal hugging commenters. You didn’t mind that one bit.
What a horrific tragedy. And that is not a long road. All 3 towns in Thanet now need 20mph in the city centres.
LC
Not really appropriate
This is such a sad occasion for the family involved totally tragic, this in thanet is happening more and more I blame the government, all these criminals get is a slap wrist and if they get sent to prison it isn’t a prison no more it’s a holiday camp they don’t care about there crimes they have committed, gyms tv etc all on tick in the butlins British prison system, bring back the old days when prison meant prison, they know they can commit crimes and get away with it now, this isn’t heat Britain anymore it’s almost society that’s going to get worse
In the good old days when prison meant prison, were there no crimes?
Well said
Where’s Marva and the gang no doubt they will say he fled the scene of the accident to ring the emergency services 🙄
What a sad person you are
Don’t be so silly. Thanet Lad.
The lives of lovely people ,taken by a worthless piece of s.it!Hopefully,karma will strike him down with a painful,fatal disease.
Absolutely heartbreaking.
Let’s hope this time the punishment fits the crime, unlike other drink/drug drivers and speeding motorists that have been allowed to walk away with just a slap on the wrist.
My heart goes out to the family concerned. 😪
I’m horror struck!
Condolences to the family concerned. There are no words that can give comfort at this time. We are thinking of you and praying for peace and forgiveness. Never to be forgotten though. Take great care out there people!
Forgiveness what for? No one can forgive anyone on someone else’s behalf. The offender must show true contrition, and ask for forgiveness, before they can be forgiven. It doesn’t seem this will happen in this case.
I think Kent Resident is saying he prays the family will find peace and find the strength to forgive.