Police have launched a major investigation after a man was left badly injured in a hit-and-run crash in Bristol last night.
The victim was left with serious arm injuries when he was struck by a car being driven on Church Road in St George just after 9.30pm on Thursday evening.
Police said they are linking that crash to reports of a theft from a local store, and unconfirmed reports from local residents reported that they believe the injured man was trying to apprehend a thief at or near the Co-op store in St George.
Police are understood to be investigating the possibility that the driver of the car which struck the man was attempting to escape the scene of the theft or robbery from the store.
Church Road, the main A420 from Kingswood into Bristol, was closed by emergency services immediately after the incident, and remained closed into the Friday morning rush hour as forensic teams scour the area for clues.
The entire street was cordoned off, and traffic diverted around St George.
A spokesperson for Avon and Somerset police said that they were linking the hit-and-run traffic collision with the theft from a local store.
“Shortly after 9.30pm last night we were called to Church Road, Bristol after a report of a collision between a car and a man in which the vehicle failed to stop,” he said.
“The man, aged in his 20s, suffered an arm injury and is currently in hospital receiving treatment,” he added.
“As part of our inquiry into the incident we’re investigating a report of a theft from a nearby shop.
“The road is currently closed while specialist officers examine the scene.
“Enquiries into the incident, including tracing and locating the driver of the vehicle, are ongoing,” he added.
For further updates about this ongoing incident, follow our live A420 blog.
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