89-Year-Old Dies After Mile on Car Roof in Hit-and-Run

An 89-year-old retired dental surgeon died after being struck by a car and carried on its roof for more than a mile in a hit-and-run incident in Gillingham, Kent, on December 29, 2025.

Tom Wallace was hit by a grey Mercedes estate around 12:10 p.m. on the A289 at Gads Hill. According to Kent Police, the vehicle continued driving with Wallace on top until it reached Grange Road near the junction with Lower Fetherby Road, about a mile away. The car was later found abandoned in nearby Eastcourt Lane, where the two occupants had fled on foot. Emergency services, including the South East Coast Ambulance Service, treated Wallace at the scene, but he was pronounced dead despite their efforts.

A postman discovered Wallace's body after spotting something on the car's roof earlier and stopping to investigate. Local residents assisted at the scene, providing aid until paramedics arrived. One resident described the postman as devastated by the discovery, calling the sight of Wallace lying there horrible.

Wallace's family released a statement through Kent Police expressing their heartbreak and paying tribute to his life. "Tom Wallace, L.D.S, R.C.S. Eng., had been a dental surgeon in the...