14-year-old boy arrested after tragic hit-and-run death of little girl in Walsall

A 14-year-old boy has been arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving after a young girl was fatally wounded in a hit-and-run collision in the West Midlands. 

Police were called to Turnstone Road in Walsall shortly after 7pm on Thursday after a 7-year-old girl was hit by a motorcycle.

Ambulance crews arrived at the scene to find the young girl in a critical condition. She was rushed to Birmingham Children’s Hospital but sadly died.

Detective Sergeant Paul Hughes, from the Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said: “This is an absolutely tragic event which has resulted in the death of an innocent child.

“We have still to recover the motorbike involved and I know someone out there in the local community knows where the bike is.

“I now need that community to come together and work with me. This is not about protecting people, this is about doing the right thing.

“As such I would urge anyone with any information, however large or small, to make contact with us.

“This is a heart-breaking situation that no family should ever go through and my thoughts are with the family of this young girl.”

A 14-year-old boy has been arrested in connection with the fatal hit-and-run collision.

Two bikes have been recovered close to the scene, but neither has been identified yet as the one involved.

Chief Superintendent Dolby warned about the dangers posed by anti-social bike riding: “Officers have been working hard to tackle the issue of illegal and anti-social bike riding and we have held a number of recent operations, taking around 30 illegally-ridden motorcycles off the roads.

“However, more of them are being seen every day and we need communities to work with us to tackle this issue.

“I want to send a clear message to the public that young people in the area are able to ride these bikes because, in many cases, adults are giving them the bikes to ride.

“They also bear responsibility for the potential consequences and this needs to stop.

“It causes distress to the communities blighted by it and it is incredibly dangerous.

“I want to encourage members of the community who live near to people using these bikes to report this to us confidentially on 101 or to CrimeStoppers on 0800 555 111 and my officers will take action.”