Man dies in suspected hit and run
The man found dead after a suspected hit and run in Trafalgar has not yet been identified.
And, police have issued a heartfelt plea for the driver of the vehicle - who didn’t stop at the scene - to consider how they would feel if it was their mate or family member, and come forward.
Major collisions unit detective sergeant Peter Romanis gave details of the incident, which occurred at Waterloo Rd late on Saturday night or in the early hours of Sunday morning.
“We are relying on community assistance to help us identify and piece together, really, what happened,” he said.
The exact time of the collision is yet to be determined but detective sergeant Romanis said he was “fairly certain that a vehicle was involved”.
“We say that because of the debris field, including fragments of glass, plastic and indicator lights that were found at the scene, that was strewn for quite some distance.”
Given the debris, which has been sent for forensic testing, detective sergeant Romanis said “I’d be gobsmacked if they (the driver) weren’t aware they’d struck someone.”
“I’m of no doubt in my mind that they will have known that they’ve struck a person.
“Whether or not they had the opportunity to see him before that is another thing, given it’s a very dimly lit area.”
The victim, believed to be in his 50s or early 60s, was seen alive walking on Waterloo Rd at about 7.10pm on Saturday.
His body was located on the road, east of Davey Drive, by a passing motorist at about 10am on Sunday morning.
“The motorist noticed him in a grass sort of spoon drain on the side of the road, stopped and called emergency services,” detective sergeant Romanis said.
“It was apparent that he had been deceased for quite some time.”
The man was wearing a black tracksuit top, a white chequered shirt, black track pants with two white stripes down the sides, and no shoes.
Given the time of year and weather conditions, detective sergeant Romanis said it was a concern the man had been wearing no shoes.
“It may be indicative that he might have been sleeping rough, but until we identify who he is we’re working on a number of different avenues of enquiry.”
Police have explored locations in Trafalgar and Moe, including aged care homes, to uncover his identity.
“It’s a bit of a head scratcher for us, no doubt. Whether or not he has a small or a larger social network, hopefully somebody realises that someone isn’t around and can come forward.”
For the driver, detective sergeant Romanis had a strong message.
“Imagine if it was your friend, your family. What would you expect someone to do in that circumstance?”
“I know what the right thing to do is, and that’s to come and speak with us.
“We’re really appealing to that person to come forward, let us know what happened from their perspective.”
The motorist who found the body is said to be shocked after coming across the confronting scene.
“In all hit and run type circumstances, we absolutely see two distinct sides of humanity,” detective sergeant Romanis said. “Those who decide to stop and help and those who decide to run. It’s never more apparent than in circumstances like this.”
Anyone who witnessed the incident, has CCTV, dashcam footage or any other information that could assist police is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report online at www. crimestoppersvic.com.au