Family pay tribute to man who was hit by a van in Houghton-le-Spring

The family of a man who died in a crash in Houghton-le-Spring earlier this month have paid tribute to him.

Trevor Appleton, 72, was hit by a van outside of the Best One shop on Kitchener Terrace, New Herrington, on 8 January at around 6.05pm.

A white Peugeot Partner van was travelling westbound when, for reasons yet to be established, it struck a male pedestrian on the road.

Mr Appleton, of New Herrington, was taken to Sunderland Royal Hospital where he later died.

His family say he will be "sorely missed by all of his family and friends".

In a statement they said: "Trevor was a loving brother and uncle, and he will be sorely missed by all of his family and friends.

“Trevor enjoyed meeting new people and socialising, and those who knew him admired his wicked sense of humour.

“We would like to thank those who remained at the scene to help Trevor in his final moments, as well as everyone who assisted in the emergency services.

“As a family, we would ask that we are now respectfully given the time to grieve and come to terms with what has happened.”

Police are continuing to appeal for witnesses to the collision.

The driver of the van remained at the scene and is assisting police.

Sergeant Ben Rutherford, of Northumbria Police, said: “This was a tragic incident where sadly Trevor has lost his life.

“Our thoughts remain with Trevor’s family and loved ones as they continue to process their grief.

“A number of enquiries have been ongoing ever since to establish exactly what has happened in the lead up to the collision.

“We’re grateful to the many people who have already come forward to assist our investigation with valuable information. However, we know the area was very busy at the time with lots of people and vehicles, so there will be some further witnesses who saw what happened and have not yet spoken to police.

“If you feel you have information that might help, no matter how small or insignificant you think it may be, please get in touch with us. It could prove vital in helping us ascertain exactly what happened on the day of the collision and ultimately get answers for Trevor’s family.”

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