Ramsgate: Victims named after two people die and child seriously hurt as car hits family in Leopold Street
18:31, 11 August 2022
updated: 11:13, 18 August 2022
A man and woman tragically killed when a car struck five people in Ramsgate have been named in Israeli media reports as a father and his daughter.
Yoram Hirshfeld, 78, and Noga Sella, 40, suffered fatal injuries when they were hit by a black Alfa Romeo in Leopold Street.
A young girl was also seriously hurt and is being treated at a London hospital, while a man in his 40s and a young boy both suffered minor injuries.
Mrs Sella was a consultant physicist living in Cambridge with her family.
Her father is understood to have been visiting from Israel.
The Jerusalem Post - Israel's most-read English news website - reports that Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has received details of the accident, and consul head Sima Duvdevani is in contact with the victims’ families.
The incident happened outside the multi-storey car park in Leopold Street, Ramsgate, at about 9.35pm last night.
An Alfa Romeo was involved in a collision with five people, and a 30-year-old man from the town was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and leaving the scene of an accident.
"He is also currently receiving hospital treatment for minor injuries," a police spokesman added.
"Enquiries into the incident are being carried out by officers from the Serious Collision Investigation Unit, who are keen to hear from any witnesses, local businesses with CCTV evidence or drivers with relevant dashcam footage."
Please call the appeal line on 01622 798538 quoting reference DS/DGC/090/22.
One eyewitness told KentOnline there were three fire engines, five ambulances and "at least 15 police cars" at the scene.
"There must have been about 50 emergency services people on scene that we could see," they said.
This morning an area of Leopold Street had been taped off.
A wall, opposite the entrance to the Royal Harbour multi-storey car park, has been damaged and a road sign knocked to the floor.
A bench has also been removed.
Reacting to the tragedy, Mayor of Ramsgate Cllr Raushan Ara, who has a business in nearby Harbour Street, said her heart goes out to the family.
"It's so sad," she said. "I was frightened last night because there so many police cars and ambulances - and the fire engines were going up and down until 11pm.
Cllr Ara is holding a vigil at the scene of the crash at 7pm this evening.
Well-wishers have left floral tributes at the scene.
One reads: "We don't know your names, but we was with you all, and praying for you when medics tried to save you both last night. Our prayers are with you both and the rest of your family."