Generous donors raised £3,280 in less than 48 hours to help return the body of factory worker Mantas Nedveckas to his grieving family in Lithaunia.
The fund to return the body of the 23 year old to his parents in Lithuania was launched on Wednesday after he died in a collision with a delivery van on Sunday evening.
Mr Nedveckas, who has a four month old baby, died after the incident as he walked along a main road into Wisbech.
The Workshop, an employment agency which found his most recent factory job, set up a Go Fund Me page to help find at least £2,000 to return his body to his family - his parents have not seen him since he moved to the UK three years ago.
Ruth Whitehurst, managing director of the agency, said: “We have known him for some time. Mantas was a hard worker, a nice chap bless him and a handsome young man.
“It is heartbreaking. We have found out it costs at least £2,000 to return a body home by road.
“His mum doesn’t even have a bank account, but we believe his grandmother in Lithuania does, so it is a case of trying to co-ordinate something to get him back home.
“His aunty is in the UK and we believe two other members of his family, but they speak limited English so you can imagine when the police called with the news they were not only in shock, but had no idea where to turn or who to go to for help.
“We have translators in the office so have been able to help and support them but we are hoping to do a bit of magic wand waving to help find the funds needed to return him home.”
A witness described the moment he heard a ‘horrific bang’ and rushed outside to find Mantas sprawled by the side of the road. Emergency services battled to save his life but he later died from his injuries.
The collision happened near the Scarfield Lane junction on the Outwell Road/A1101 just before 8pm.
The witness said: “I looked over my fence and saw the van driver had slowed down and stopped,
“The driver told me ‘I’ve just hit someone’ and he went back to see what had happened.”
The man added: “The driver said the man just stumbled in front of him.
“The young man was walking towards Wisbech on the A1101 and in the road,” said the resident. “He did not have a high vis jacket or anything – nor was he using a footpath that was on the other side of the road.”
He added: “One police officer I spoke to said there had been three reports earlier of a man seen walking dangerously along that stretch of road. It was clear from the injuries I witnessed that the pedestrian had been hit hard – when the ambulance crews arrived they immediately inserted tubes into his chest to help him breathe but it was obviously going to be an uphill struggle for them.
“Credit to the van driver though – as soon as it happened he went straight back to help find the man who was lying in long grass alongside the road.”
The road was closed for four hours.
Anyone who witnessed the collision or has information concerning it should contact Norfolk Police serious collision investigation team on 101.
To donate visit Go Fund Me and search Get Mantas Home.
To donate the Get Mantas HomeGo Fund Me page
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