16 April 2023 , 21:49
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A distraught family are appealing for information after their dog was killed when a van jumped a red light and hit it.
Michael Hammil was taking his French bulldog Millie to the shop when she was run over in front of him in Nantwich Road, Crewe.
The eight-year-old canine was struck at around 3pm after a white Mercedes Sprinter failed to stop at the junction of Walthall Street.
Michael, 57, was narrowly missed by the vehicle but it hit his pooch Millie who was just in front of him, the Stoke Sentinel reports.
His daughter Toni Hamill told said: "We are absolutely heartbroken. We'd had Millie for eight years, since she was a tiny puppy. She was a massive part of our family.
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"My dad and his partner had got to Aldi on the corner. They went to cross over as the lights were red and beeping noise was sounding. He just took one step forward and a car came flying round the corner. Millie was just ahead of him and there was a huge bang.
Millie, the eight-year-old dog, was killed after being hit by a Mercedes Sprinter van (Toni Hamill)"The driver hasn't even tried to stop to see what he'd hit, he didn't even brake. He just completely ran the red light. He nearly clipped my dad but Millie took the full force.
"Apparently he sped up after the incident so he must have known he'd hit something. My dad's partner rang the police straight away but we were only able to get a partial registration because it happened so fast."
Toni, 23, from Shavington, added: "There was blood everywhere, she was killed instantly. A woman came rushing out of the nail salon after hearing the commotion. There were bystanders crying. Shoppers were coming out of Aldi with bin bags to cover Millie up. It's was completely traumatic.
"We're appealing for dashcam and CCTV footage. We've managed to get some already but it's not clear enough to see the number plate. The van had a dent on the driver's side so it's quite easy to distinguish. We believe he may have been a delivery driver.
The family and police want to speak to the driver of this van (Toni Hamill)"We want the driver to acknowledge what he's done. I want the driver to understand, it wasn't just an animal, she was a much-loved family pet. It could have been a child. He shouldn't be able to get away with it. We want justice for Millie."
It is believed the driver had come from Stalbridge Road before turning left on to Walthall Street and right on to Nantwich Road.
Millie's family have been rocked by her avoidable death (Toni Hamill)Paying tribute to Millie, Toni commented: "She was a wonderful pet. She was so well-trained and would fetch the post for my dad. My little boy is only one but they were best friends. He's too young to understand but it's heart-breaking when he looks for her. We're absolutely devastated."
Anyone with information can contact Cheshire Police quoting IML-1524589.