Liverpool police car crash: First picture of man killed in Christmas Day tragedy
Tony Carroll, 70, was struck by a Merseyside Police car near Wallasey tunnel in Liverpool on Christmas Day and he was killed
Tom DavidsonAssistant news editor
This is the first picture of the man killed after he was struck by a police car on Christmas Day.
Tony Carroll was hit by a car that was responding to an emergency near the Wallasey tunnel in Liverpool.
The 70-year-old had visited family in the area when he decided to pop into his local, The Throstles Nest Hotel, on Scotland Road, last night.
He bought drinks for a couple of friends before leaving for the short journey home when he was killed as he crossed the road.
His friends and staff at the pub were adamant he was not drunk and did not appear to be unsteady on his feet.
A tribute from his devastated family, released through Merseyside Police, said: "Tony was a much loved brother and uncle and will be greatly missed by all his family.
Police at the scene on Christmas Day (Image: PA)
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"He was always the life and soul of the party, and he lived life the way he wanted to.
"Tony was much loved by all who knew him for his kindness and generosity in the local community.
"As a very close knit family we spent Christmas day together and as he left told us all that he had had the best day ever.
"This tragedy has devastated all our family and Tony will be remembered in our hearts forever."
The slip road was closed while police investigated the scene (Image: PA)
Mr Carroll was killed in a Christmas Day tragedy (Image: PA)
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Merseyside Police have referred the incident to the Independent Office for Police Conduct.
Witnesses last night described seeing a clearly distressed police officer sitting in the middle of the road in the aftermath of the crash, holding his head in his hands.
Today regulars at the Throstles Nest described Mr Carroll as a "gentleman" known for his generosity.
One friend, who gave his name as Paddy, said he had known Mr Carroll since the late 1980s, when the pair worked together.
A screen surrounds a police vehicle with a smashed windscreen at the scene of an accident (Image: PA)
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He told the Liverpool Echo: "He came in here around 6pm and he bought me and my Mrs a drink. He had been to his brother's house and he was carrying presents.
"After he left, someone came in here and told us he had been knocked down, I ran out and I was crying to the police woman.
"He had only had one drink, he was not a big drinker at all. He was a funny guy, he just liked a bet on the horses and the football."
Another pub goer said Mr Carroll was not drunk when he left the pub.
He said: "He was just a genuine fella. He was always smart and well dressed. He was a gentleman."
A shoe, clothing and medical equipment lie on the road at the scene of an accident (Image: PA)
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Earlier staff at Mr Carroll's local shop, Scotland Road Newsagents, described how he would share cookies and cake with them when he popped in.
A staff member, who gave her name as Alex, said: "I could not say a bad word about him. He was just so friendly.
"It was so shocking when people said it was him. I just kept thinking he was going to walk through the door...
"I only saw him on Christmas Eve, he waved to me and said 'all the best'."
Mr Carroll, believed to be originally from the Vauxhall area, was pronounced dead in hospital after being hit by the police vehicle at 6.50pm.
Police watchdog, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), confirmed last night that the officers involved were responding to an emergency call at the time of the incident, although the nature of the call has not been confirmed.
The IOPC spokesperson also said that they had made the decision to carry out an independent investigation into the collision.