John Furness died a week after the incident
John Furness, 71, was hit by a car when he went to buy a lottery ticket
The family of an “adventurous” grandad who inspired his family have paid tribute to him after he was hit by a car on his way to buy a lottery ticket close to his home. John Furness was hit by a Toyota Prius at the junction of Rathbone Road and Wellington Road in Wavertree on Friday, November 22, at around 7.15pm.
Speaking to the ECHO after the incident, a member of the family said how the 71-year-old had left his home which was “two minutes away” to go to the shop to buy a lottery ticket. A week later, his family said he had died at around 1am on Friday, December 29, when they took him off a ventilator the day before.
In a tribute issued by the family through Merseyside Police, they said: “In loving memory of our dad, John Furness. Our dad, our hero. He was so adventurous, he loved the outdoors and he made the best memories with all of his grandkids in Wales. Truly loved by all of his family and friends. Our hearts are broken, we can’t believe we will never see our beautiful dad again.
“He was a true inspiration to us all and his memory will live on forever in our hearts. We have been truly touched by the amount of tributes from family and friends, thank you for your help and support through these difficult times. Special thankyou to Gill for the care she gave our dad in his final days.”
Detective Sergeant Simon Duffy from the Matrix Serious Collision Investigation Unit said at the time: “Our thoughts are with this man’s family at this sad time and they are being supported by a specially trained officer.
“An investigation into the circumstances of this collision are ongoing and I would appeal to anyone, who we haven’t already spoken to and who was in the area on the evening of Friday 22 November, who may have witnessed this collision or the moments leading up to the incident, to please get in touch. Getting answers for this man’s family is a priority and we value any help that can be provided”.
Anyone who witnessed the collision or captured anything on CCTV or dashcam is asked to contact Serious Collision Investigation Unit on (0151) 777 5747, or email SCIU@merseyside.police.uk. Alternatively DM @MerPolCC or @CrimestoppersUK on 0800 555 111, quoting reference 0796 of 22 November.