THE best friend of a man killed in a hit-and-run has has told how he was about to become a dad.
Jack Brandon, 22, was killed when he was hit by a vehicle on the B2112 New Road in Ditchling, just months before his partner, Sophie, is expected to give birth to a baby girl.
Oliver Dommett, 33 from Littlehampton, employed Jack as an apprentice at the age of 17 and said he had seen him “grow from a boy to a man, from an apprentice to my best friend”.
He said: “Jack was an amazing person, he was impossible to dislike. He had a charm and a vulnerability to him that made you want to take him under your wing like he was your little brother.
“He was loved by everyone - I’ve never met anyone who had a bad word to say about him.”
He also said that was a hard working plasterer with an unmatched sense of humour and a heart of gold.
Oliver said that, after a brief time working elsewhere, Jack, from Hassocks, had returned to work with him again so he could finish earlier in the afternoons, so he could spend time with his daughter once she was born.
He said that Jack’s family have been “strong, but are angry”.
A fundraiser set up by Oliver to support Jack’s family and his partner has raised over £10,000 in a matter of days. The money will help Sophie and Jack’s family to grieve without the worry of financial woes, as well as help to cover some of the cost of starting a family.
He said: “It’s been so overwhelming. We’ve been blown away, which just goes to show how loved he was and how respected he was by his friends, family, and all the people he’s met over the years, and also how strong the community is.
“Some people have made very generous donations who have never met Jack, but they have been touched by what’s happened and just want to help.
“It’s hard for me to go through the list without breaking down in tears. It’s such a nice thing to see.”
People can donate to the fundraiser at https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-support-jacks-partner-and-daughter.
Police said the driver left the scene.
Police are appealing for witnesses of the crash - which took place in the early hours of the morning on Sunday, July 3, with officers particularly keen to hear from people who may have seen a white vehicle with damage to its headlight and missing its nearside (passenger) mirror, as well as any garages that may have been asked to repair such damage since yesterday.
Anyone who saw what happened or captured any relevant dash cam footage from the area around that time is urged to email collision.appeal@sussex.police.uk, quoting Operation Kempston.
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