Mum’s heart-wrenching tribute to her ‘beautiful babies’ as girl, 9, & boy, 16, killed in ‘hit-and-run while on scooter’

A DEVASTATED parent has paid tribute to her "beautiful babies" aft a nine-year-old miss and boy, 16, were killed portion riding a scooter.

Roman Casselden and his small sister Darcie were struck down by a car connected Saturday evening portion playing successful adjacent their location successful Essex.

The fearfulness happened successful Walthams Place, Pitsea, astatine astir 6.25pm and the operator failed to halt astatine the scene.

In a connection posted connected Facebook, the children's heartbroken mum Emma Keeling, paid tribute to her "beautiful babies".

She wrote: “My 2 beauteous babies Roman and Darcie sadly mislaid their lives past nighttime successful this atrocious accident. The operator fled the scene.

“We are presently grieving astatine this hard time.

"I privation to convey everyone who has offered their enactment and to the paramedics, aerial ambulance unit and members of the nationalist who tried successful vain to prevention them.”

The children's' begetter Alec Casselden made a fig of grief-stricken posts connected societal media describing his heartbreak implicit their deaths.

Darcie and Roman are thought to person been playing connected an e-scooter erstwhile calamity struck, according to section media reports.

Essex Police confirmed a antheral and woman, some successful their 20s, person been arrested connected suspicion of causing decease by careless driving and failing to halt astatine the country of an accident.

They some stay successful custody.

A GoFundMe has been acceptable up by a person successful enactment of the household to rise wealth for ceremonial expenses.

They wrote a connection with the entreaty which read: “I person been fixed support connected behalf of my friends, the household of young Roman and Darcie, who tragically mislaid their lives connected Saturday Feb 1 2025 successful Pitsea.

“Tragedy has struck our community, leaving 2 young lives mislaid acold excessively soon. We are heartbroken for the families and loved ones of these precious children.

“In this devastating time, we privation to travel unneurotic to enactment the families with ceremonial expenses and different needs. Any donation, large oregon small, volition assistance easiness their burden.”

Roman has been remembered arsenic a talented footballer, playing done the Achievement Through Football (ATF) charity.

One tribute to him from a erstwhile teacher read: “Two beauteous souls taken acold excessively soon. You were specified a bully kid, a joyousness to thatch successful PE.

"Our clip unneurotic watching you summation assurance successful shot nine and seeing you play for the school, seeing that beamy grin erstwhile you scored and proceeding Mr Billingham screaming your sanction celebrating is simply a large memory."

Another read: “I can’t judge you are some gone. ATF volition not beryllium the aforesaid anymore. You were some taken excessively soon. You volition ne'er beryllium forgotten.”

Members of the grief-stricken assemblage besides near floral tributes astatine the scene.

“You were some beauteous people. I volition ever emotion you and retrieve you," 1 read.

Someone penned: “I’m truthful atrocious that you some person been taken distant acold excessively young.

“My thoughts and prayers are with everything that had the joyousness to cognize you both, particularly your family.”

Residents claimed the 30mph road, Ashlyns, wherever the children were deed needs much velocity calming measures.

One section said: “This is simply a built up country with tons of children crossing the roadworthy to scope the park, playground and adjacent schools.

“But cars travel zooming down similar it’s a 60mph state road. There’s been truthful galore crashes precocious - adjacent 1 involving a constabulary car.

“It’s bittersweet that it takes a calamity similar this to item the contented but hopefully thing volition yet beryllium done astir it now.”

Councillor Gavin Callaghan, Leader of Basildon Council, added: "I was profoundly shocked and saddened to perceive of the deaths of 2 young children successful Pitsea North West yesterday, aft a roadworthy postulation incidental connected the Chalvedon estate.

"I can’t ideate the symptom and anguish the parents and household of these 2 children are going done close now. We volition beryllium supporting the section assemblage done this hard time.

"If you saw thing oregon person immoderate accusation connected this accident, delight get successful interaction with the constabulary immediately."

Stuart Hooper, impermanent adjunct main constable, added: “My thoughts are with the friends and household of the miss and lad who person died this evening.

“Specialist officers are supporting them astatine this genuinely unimaginably hard time. Our officers volition beryllium carrying retired enquiries successful the country this evening to found the circumstances which led up to the collision truthful if you saw thing oregon person immoderate accusation delight get successful contact.”