A 14-year-old girl has died after being struck by a car on Hogmanay, with the driver arrested for suspected drug driving.
The girl was hit by the grey Mercedes in Sandwell, West Midlands, at around 4.45pm yesterday.
Paramedics attended the scene, but tragically the girl and she was pronounced dead just before 5.30pm.
The driver, a 39-year-old man, stopped at the scene near Rowley Regis railway station, the Mirror reports.
He was arrested on suspicion of causing death by driving while under the influence of drugs.
He remains in police custody this morning.
Sergeant Julie Lyman from West Midlands Police Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said: “This is a truly awful way to start the New Year and my heart goes out to the girl’s family and friends.
“We’ve started an investigation to understand what happened and the driver has been arrested as we believe he was driving while unfit through drugs.
“The investigation is clearly in the early stages and I would urge people not to speculate online about what happened. It’s really not helpful and can be very upsetting for the family.”
"We’re appealing for any witnesses. If you saw what happened or saw the grey Mercedes driving in the build-up to the crash then please get in touch.
"And if you have dash-cam footage showing the incident then we also want to hear from you."
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