Newcastle student, 20, dies after being hit by a car in Jesmond

A student has died after being hit by a car in Newcastle in the early hours of Saturday morning.

Emergency services responded to a call shortly after 1:40am on 10 June after reports that a silver Peugeot 308 had hit a male pedestrian on the Great North Road, in the Jesmond area of the city.

Liam O'Connor, a 20-year-old from Manchester, was taken to hospital after the incident but died from his injuries.

His family have requested privacy at this time.

The student's former rugby club Sale Sharks posted a tribute to Mr O'Connor on its website.

In a statement, the club described him as a "true star" and "warrior".

The club said Mr O'Connor had just completed his second year at Newcastle University and played for the Newcastle Medics team.

The statement added that the former St Ambrose School pupil played for every age group from the Lancashire Under-13s to Under-18s before joining Sale's developing players programme and Sharks' junior academy.

The club said: "Every one of [his] teams had a true star and warrior in their team.

"Liam epitomised the spirit of rugby union and always made his parents and team-mates proud of his achievements.

"Everyone at Sale Sharks is completely heartbroken and our thoughts turn to Liam's family."

Police have renewed its appeal for witnesses as they try to establish the full circumstances of the collision, which happened near the junction of Forsyth Road.

Sergeant Steven Chappell, of Northumbria Police, said: “This is a truly devastating outcome, and our thoughts remain with Liam’s family and loved ones at this very sad time. We would ask that their privacy is respected as they attempt to come to terms with what has happened.

“We are committed to getting answers for his family and finding out the full circumstances surrounding this collision, which has tragically resulted in his death.

“Today, I am again asking for the public’s help. While this happened in the early hours, the road is well-used and in a busy location, and we understand there were a number of other vehicles in the area.

“Anybody who believes they witnessed this collision, or who saw either Liam or the silver Peugeot 308 prior to or after the incident, should get in touch with police if they have not already done so.

“We still want to hear from anybody who may have CCTV or dashcam footage which may be of interest to our investigation – so please do check your footage as soon as possible and contact us.

“Your information, no matter how small it might seem, could prove significant during our inquiries.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact police using the website, or call 101, quoting log number NP-20230610-0103.

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