Poster appeal to find Cradley Heath hit-and-run driver
A poster campaign was today launched by the Express & Star to find the driver of a car that hit a pensioner in the Black Country.
Bernard Betts, aged 85, was hit by a car while he walked his dog in Cradley Heath and died 18 days later.
Posters have now been created in a bid to trace the driver involved in the collision as part of a joint campaign by the newspaper and West Midlands Police.
Devastated relatives of Mr Betts said their lives had been turned upside down since the crash.
Les Betts said his family's life had been turned upside down since his father, 85-year-old Bernard Betts, was knocked down.
"Someone out there knows the driver of this car," said Les, a teacher at Walsall Academy, in Bloxwich.
"I want to ask the driver 'how would you feel if this was your dad?'. It's not just my dad, my mom is dying of a broken heart. They had been married 64 years. I urge the driver to do the right thing now - the only responsible action is to go to the police."
Retired brick layer Bernard was knocked down outside his home, in Barrs Road, on January 16 and died 18 days later.
He was a keen Aston Villa fan and well-known in the Cradley Heath area.
He met his sweetheart Lilian Betts 68 years ago and the pair had lived in Barrs Road for more than 30 years.
Les added: "The whole family has been rocked by this. We're all gutted. we can't believe what has happened."
Bernard's grieving widow Lilian, aged 83, said: "It has devastated the whole family. I have not been right since. I have not been able to eat. I can drink but I can't eat. It's lonely on your own all day. I have not been able to cry yet. I think it's the shock."
Police are looking for a red Citroen seen in the area at the time at the time of the crash.
Sgt Gavin Green, who is investigating the incident, said: "We are continuing to investigate the incident on Wednesday evening, in Barrs Road, Cradley Heath and hope that the poster appeal will encourage any witnesses or anyone with information to come forward and contact us on 101.
"Someone must have seen what happened and we would urge them to contact police as soon as possible."
