Bernard Betts hit-and-run: Now we will never know the truth, say family
Relatives of tragic hit-and-run victim Bernard Betts today spoke of their agony at never knowing the full circumstances surrounding his death after the only suspect in the case died.
Mr Betts, an 85-year-old grandfather-of-eight, was knocked down near his home in Cradley Heath in January as he walked his beloved dog Jack.
The avid Aston Villa died 18 days later in hospital after suffering a broken spine and leg. Police launched an appeal to trace the driver, and soon after interviewed a 37-year-old man in connection with the tragedy, and were waiting for a decision by the Crown Prosecution Service over whether charges would be brought.
But the suspect died last weekend and officers have said they are not looking for anyone else in connection with the accident.
Mr Betts's son Les, a teacher from Stourbridge, said the family had been left with many questions over his death.
"The police told me the investigation was moving on and they were going to give us solid clarity by the end of this week," he said. "They said we might get closure on it but I did not know what was happening."
Destroyed
He added: "We obviously wanted the perpetrator caught and justice for my dad but in no way would we wish for this on this person's family.
"That's two families destroyed by this car accident."
Walsall College teacher Les added: "The most frustrating thing is we won't get answers to the questions we wanted to know.
"Did dad walk in front of the car? Why didn't the driver stop? That's the main thing I would like to ask him. We still don't really know what happened."
Mr Betts, a retired bricklayer, was born at Guest Hospital in Dudley and brought up in Rowington Avenue in Blackheath.
He met his sweetheart Lilian at a VE Day celebration in Oldbury in 1945 and the couple wed at Oldbury registrar two years later. They had lived in Barrs Road for more than 30 years.
As well as Les, the couple had three other children, Linda, Graham and Kevin.
The family had caravans in Wales and Devon where they would go for holidays. Mr Betts was also a keen Villa fan and used to take his children to watch the games.
Mr Bett's second youngsest son, 54-year-old father-of-three Graham, a builder from High Street in Pensnett, said: "What we wanted was for someone to be arrested, to go to court and find out what happened.
"We wanted justice for my dad. This isn't what we wanted. There is no closure."
Mr Bett's widow Lilian, 83, said she was saddened another family was now grieving for their relative after what her relatives had suffered.
"We don't want another family going through what we've gone through," she said.
Les said his mother's health had taken a turn for the worse in recent weeks.
"She is not good," he said. "She is still in shock and grief and really misses him now.
"Only the other day she was saying 'he never used to say a lot but I wish he was sat there'. Of course she is going to miss him – they had been married 60 years."
He added: "We try to support her as best as we can but she relied on dad so much – going to fetch things for her, supporting her. We just hope she can come through this."
Insp Mark Watkins said: "A 37-year-old man was interviewed in relation to the collision on Barrs Road in Cradley Heath where a pensioner died," he said. "A file was submitted to the crown prosecution service for a decision to be made as to whether any charges would follow. However, the suspect in the case died at the weekend. The death is not being treated as suspicious and has been referred to the coroner."
He added: "Separate inquests will be held in due course into the deaths of the 37-year-old man and 85-year-old Bernard Betts who died in the collision in January.
"Our thoughts are with the families at this sad time."
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