PEOPLE living and working near the site of a fatal accident have spoken of their shock after a man was killed just moments from his home.

Nicholas Wood, 48, was run over by a van in as he lay on the ground in a poorly-lit car park in the Roundhills Estate in Waltham Abbey at around 6:10pm on Friday night (January 29).

Mr Wood, who lived in Springfields, just a few minutes walk from where he died, fell to the ground in the car park while walking home from an off licence, and was run over by a reversing van.

Ambulance crews and police attended the scene and took Mr Wood to Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow, where he was pronounced dead.

Mark, who did not want to give his last name, works at Roundhills Fish Bar only a few metres from where Mr Wood was killed. He said: “Just after it happened there were lots of people around using torches, because it's so dark out there.

“I'm sure the driver looked before he started moving but he would have been too low and he probably wouldn't have seen him anyway.

“It's pitch black out there at night, you can't see a thing. There's always accidents happening, cars being hit and things.

“The council should put more lights in but they don't care, they just think 'it's only a council estate'.

“They're too busy thinking about the town centre to care about this place.”

Peter Yerrell, who lives in Rochford Avenue, which overlooks the car park, said: “I heard a bit of noise and went round there to have a look what was happening.

“The state the guy was in was unbelievable, he was really bad.”

Sandra Smith, who used to run the Queen's Arms pub in Waltham Abbey's Market Square, remember Mr Wood from his younger days.

She said: “I knew him about 30 years ago when he used to come into the pub. He was very outgoing and a very pleasant man.

“In recent year he was a bit of a longer, by all accounts. He kept himself to himself and my son never really saw much of him.

"He had a brother but I don't think he ever married or had any children.

“I was surprised to hear that my son lived next door to him on Roundhills Estate a few years ago.

“This is such a shock to hear, it's so sad.”

Police are continuing to investigating the circumstances surrounding the collision and any witnesses should contact PC Andy Rivers at Chigwell Road Policing Unit on 0300 333 4444.

Did you know Nicholas Wood? Did you see the accident on Friday night? Please contact Guardian reporter James Ranger on 07795 316 211.