West Lothian police hunt driver after fatal Bathgate hit-and-run

Detectives in West Lothian are on the hunt to find a hit-and-run driver after a man was struck and killed by a car on a quiet stretch of road last night.

Officers believe the crash happened at around 11:05pm (Sunday, September 20) on the section of the B792 that links Bathgate and Torphichen.

The 53-year-old victim, who police have yet to name, was left seriously injured when he was hit by an as-yet unidentified vehicle at the Torphichen end of the road.

The unknown driver did not stop his car or try to help the man, detectives said, urging anyone who witnessed the crash to come forward.

The victim was taken to the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary by ambulance but was pronounced dead a short time later.

A police source confirmed to the Evening News that while a 999 call was made to request an ambulance, the same caller did not alert the police.

Officers are particularly interested in possible sightings of a dark-coloured car showing signs of fresh damage to its body or paintwork.

Inspector Peter Houston from Police Scotland’s Road Policing Unit said: “This was a serious incident and our thoughts at this time are with the family and friends of the man who sadly lost his life.

“Our enquiries into the cause of the crash are continuing and I would ask anyone who saw what happened, and has not yet spoken to officers, to come forward.

“We are particularly interested to speak to anyone who was on the B792 before the collision, and may have seen the deceased walking, he was wearing all dark clothing.

“Equally, we would like to speak to anyone who may have seen a dark vehicle in the area either before or after the time of the collision, it may have had fresh damage.

“Anyone with information or anyone who may dashcam footage which can help the investigation is asked to contact police on 101, quoting incident number 4127 of Sunday 20 September.”

The B792 remains closed today while detectives continue their investigation.

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