Belfast police study CCTV in hit-and-run case

Police in Northern Ireland are examining CCTV footage in a bid to trace a hit-and-run driver who killed a teenage boy in Belfast…

Police in Northern Ireland are examining CCTV footage in a bid to trace a hit-and-run driver who killed a teenage boy in Belfast.

Detectives are trying to piece together the movements of the dark coloured Rover saloon, which knocked down Gary Whittley (19) as he crossed the road at the junction of Tierney Gardens and Donegall Road.

The teenager, of Felt Street in the Sandy Row area, was taken to the nearby Royal Victoria Hospital but died from his injuries.

A Rover 600 was later found burnt out in Cooke Street, off the Ormeau Road, after it had been driven up an embankment and into a metal fence.

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It is believed to have been the one which struck the teenager and may have had a number of unregistered owners.

Police Inspector James Ellson said his officers were trying to establish if the abandoned car hit the teenager at speed shortly before 2am, near the Nazarene Mission Hall.

He said: "I can't confirm that at this stage, but it is a definite line of inquiry. "I would appeal to anyone who has seen such a vehicle in the Donegall Road, in the Lower Crescent area, or towards Cooke Street itself to contact detectives at Musgrave Street.

"It is essential that we bring those responsible before the courts." The PSNI are attempting to trace a number of individuals who may have witnessed the accident, including the driver of a car which narrowly avoided the incident.

PA