A father-of-two was killed by a car as he went to help an injured women while out on a post-Christmas walk with his family.
The death of Good Samaritan Christian Marriott has been described as “utterly heartbreaking” by detectives who say he was with his wife and two young sons when he was hit by the vehicle on Wednesday afternoon.
The 46-year-old had gone to the aid of a women lying unconscious after police believe she had been involved in a disturbance in the Burngreave area of Sheffield.
But as Mr Marriott left his wife and sons, aged eight and six, he was hit by the car, which also struck the woman and several other people including an off-duty midwife who tried to give assistance.
North Yorkshire Police has arrested a 23-year-old man on suspicion of murder following the incident at the junction of College Court and College Close. Another man, 55, has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.
Detective Chief Inspector Andrew Knowles said: “This is an utterly heartbreaking case in which a Good Samaritan, who had stepped in to help a stranger in their time of need, has lost his life.
“Chris leaves behind a loving family including his devastated wife and two young sons. We are absolutely determined to secure justice for Chris and his loved ones following this horrific tragedy.”
“Increased patrols will continue in the area in the coming days and local people will continue to see officers carrying out enquiries, including going house-to-house to gather witness statements.”
A police spokeswoman said the woman Mr Marriott was helping remained in hospital in a life-threatening condition. The off-duty midwife suffered minor injuries, another man received serious injuries which were not believed to be life-threatening and four further people – three women and a man – suffered minor injuries.
On Thursday, people living in the area spoke of their shock. Neighbours said the altercation was related to some kind of dispute between two families.
Tarek Nayli, 49, said he came out of his home to see fighting in the street, a number of injured people and neighbours telling him there were others trapped under a car.
Mr Nayli said: “I heard a lot of sound, a lot of voices, a lot of shouting. When I came out, I found people all gathering around and people fighting. One guy had a lot of blood on his face.”
On Thursday morning, police continued to guard an extensive cordon around the close, which is a small cul-de-sac of modern houses a short distance from the city’s Northern General Hospital and about a mile-and-a-half from the city centre.
The cordon was dropped later in the day as forensic officers and detectives continued their inquiries in the small semi-detached property.
