Appeal to find “heartless” hit-and-run driver who left a postman for dead in North London

The family of a man who was seriously injured after being struck by a white vehicle in Edmonton on Saturday afternoon are offering a reward to help find the driver who sped off without stopping. The incident occurred at around 2:30 pm on the busy Hertford Road by the junction with Cuckoo Hall Lane in Edmonton N9. Postman Necati had just finished his rounds. He was in the process of collecting his mail distribution trolley to return to his base at the Royal Mail Lower Edmonton Delivery Office when he was hit by a white Mercedes as he was crossing Hertford Road. His uncle Ahmet Baştürk told T-VINE: “Necati was walking back to his trolley to go back to the depot. At approximately 2:30 pm, while crossing Hertford Road near Cuckoo [Hall] Lane, he was hit by a white Mercedes 17. The [number] plate starts with a K. “The vehicle was said to be travelling 30-40 miles per hour. We have a witness who has said the driver was a female and possibly [there was] another female passenger [in the vehicle].”

Net closing in on hit-and-run driver who left a postman for dead - family sent CCTV of car suspected of hitting Necati in Edmonton

The 30-year-old father-of-one was knocked unconscious in the hit-and run accident. An air ambulance was called, whose crew attended to Necati at the scene before he was taken to the Royal London Hospital. Mr Baştürk said his nephew had suffered extensive injuries as a result of the accident: “He has a broken knee, broken ankle, severe lacerations on his upper thigh, which needs extensive surgery and possible skin grafts. He has head and neck injuries too. He has had multiple stitches in his head.” Police attended the scene and are investigating. Writing on social media, friends of Necati described the postman as a “gentle giant who was just doing his job,” and called the hit-and-run driver a “heartless scumbug who left him lying in the road for dead.” Posting a photo on Facebook of his nephew Necati in hospital, his head covered in blood, Mr Baştürk advised the driver “ to give themselves up immediately!” Mr Baştürk, a former chair of the Council of Turkish Cypriot Associations UK (CTCA) and owner of London Turkish Radio, is also offering a £1,000 reward to help apprehend the suspect driver. “Hertford Road has many CCTV cameras. People should check these quickly and get back to us with any evidence that can help the police track this driver down. “I’m putting up a reward of £1,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the culprit,” he added. Those with any information about the accident can contact Mr Baştürk via Facebook or call him on 07956 126503.   UPDATED, 18.05 story amended to remove reference to 'van' as the family have received mixed reports on the type of white vehicle that hit Necati