William Brown tragically died after he was struck
A suspended sentence has been imposed on a motorist who struck a seven-year-old kid with his van, left the scene, and then observed the boy lying in the road. William Brown, who was struck by Stewart Powell’s grey Peugeot van on December 6 and flung into the path of another car, was pronounced dead at the scene on the A259 Sandgate Esplanade in Folkestone.
Today, July 17, before Folkestone Magistrates’ Court, prosecutor Julie Farbrace stated that Powell drove a short distance after striking William and observed CPR being administered to him while he lay in the highway. Powell then allegedly “panicked” and left the scene. The following day, the 49-year-old dialed 999 and told the operators that “the whole f****** thing just stressed me out” while describing how William fled in front of him.
When William’s parents read remarks in court about the tragic loss of their son, the father of two seemed overcome with sorrow. Powell was criticized by William’s mother, Laura Brown, for abandoning her kid in the street “like an animal” and claiming that he “deserved better.”
“Stewart stood watching the catastrophic incident unfold. He made a conscious decision to get back into his van and leave him,” she said.
“My mind was tortured not knowing who killed William,” she continued. The van driver was being begged to come forward. Stewart’s actions added to the agony we were already going through.”
The accident “could have happened to anyone,” he continued, adding that his son shouldn’t have been on the road. “I hope we can all consider road safety a priority moving forward… so William’s life is not wasted,” he said.
Adrienne Wright, defending Powell, claimed the behavior was out of character for him and that he was only experiencing “sheer panic” from not being able to manage what was happening in front of him. “Not a moment passes that he does not regret his decision,” she continued.