TRIBUTES have been left for a young man who died after being hit by a car in Victoria Avenue.

Andrew Richardson, 23, died at the Royal London Hospital on Saturday evening following a collision at the junction of Harcourt Avenue, Southend, shortly before 8pm on Thursday, in which he sustained serious injuries.

Family and friends have since visited the site of the incident to lay flowers and pay tribute to a young man they said was “taken from us way too soon.”

Sister Marie Richardson wrote: “I still can’t believe this is real and you’ve gone.

“We’re all going to miss you so much. Going to miss your cheeky grin, your random acts of silliness and the way you didn’t care what anyone thought of you.

“This wasn’t your time little brother. You were such a character, one of a kind.

“You will never be forgotten.”

Police officers were called to Victoria Avenue at 7.55pm on Thursday and found Mr Richardson had suffered serious injuries when they arrived.

He was taken to Southend Hospital before being transferred to the Royal London Hospital in a critical condition for further treatment and the Londonbound carriageway of the road was closed until 1.35am while officers carried out investigations.

Victoria Avenue resident Dave Goldsmith, 61, said although the road was calm during the day, it could be more dangerous at night.

He said: “When there’s lots of traffic, it all tends to be quite slow, but when there’s nothing about at night, it can get quite fast, motorbikes especially and you do get people speeding.”

Fellow resident Nick Sweeting, 52, added: “I would say the traffic is worse going into town at night, because they roar down from the Blue Boar lights down to these ones.

“This side is generally quite calm but you do sometimes get people speeding at night.

“I don’t know how you would control traffic on here, though, with it being a main road.”

The driver of a blue Seat Leon, a 24-year-old man from Southend, was arrested on suspicion of causing serious injury through dangerous driving before Mr Richardson’s death and has been bailed until January 17.

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