Man killed by his own Land Rover ‘while trying to stop thieves stealing it’

Murder investigation launched after victim, 57, dead after being hit by car in residential street in Beswick

The man, aged 57, was pronounced dead after being hit by a car on Olympic Street (Google Maps)

A man who was run over and killed on a quiet residential street in Manchester was trying to stop thieves from stealing his car, police believe.

Detectives launched a murder investigation on Sunday after a suspected hit-and-run by a black Land Rover in Beswick, in the east of the city.

Police were called just before 11am on Saturday to reports of an unresponsive man on Olympic Street, a residential road situated just a 15-minute walk from Manchester City’s Etihad stadium.

The 57-year-old victim was pronounced dead at the scene, despite the best efforts of the public and emergency services to save his life, Greater Manchester Police said.

A 35-year-old man has now been arrested on suspicion of murder, and a 43-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender.

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They both remain in custody and were set to be questioned by detectives on Sunday evening, police said.

Map shows the location of the suspected hit-and-run (The Independent)

Detective Inspector Rachel Smith said: “At the centre of this investigation, is a grieving family, who we will do all we can to get answers for.

“Our investigation is moving at pace, and I have a team of detectives who continue to work relentlessly to capture a picture of what happened in the events leading up to this incident.

“Additional officers remain in the area to offer reassurance to the local community. If you have any questions, or want to share any information, please speak to them. They are there for you and any detail, no matter how small it may seem, could help us.”

Det Insp Smith thanked “brave members of the public who immediately came to assist the victim as emergency services arrived at the scene.”, adding: “This is a tragic incident where a man has lost his life and our priority at this time is supporting his family and getting them the answers they deserve.

“Our thoughts remain with them at this devastating time. I understand and share the shock that this incident will cause the community. I want to reassure residents that we have specialist officers working diligently to piece together a full timeline of events leading up to this incident.

“I ask anyone who may have seen something suspicious in the area this morning to come forward and know that any information will be treated with the strictest confidence.

“We would also like to speak to anyone who witnessed this incident or who may have CCTV or dash cam footage. Regardless of how small this detail may seem; it could be key to our investigation.”

Anyone with information or footage is asked to contact police on 0161 856 3635 quoting log number 1172 of 16 March 2024. You can also use their Live Chat service on the GMP website.