Hundreds attend funeral of Folkestone child killed in hit-and-run
Seven-year-old William Brown died following a crash last month
Last updated 14th Jan 2024
Hundreds of mourners have gathered in Folkestone for the funeral of a seven-year-old boy killed in a hit-and-run crash.
William Brown was killed following a crash on the A259 at the Sandgate Esplanade on the evening of December 6th.
According to his father, Brown had been trying to collect his football which had fallen into the road when he was involved in a crash between a grey Peugeot van and a red Citroen car.
Before emergency services arrived to give immediate treatment, however, the grey van had already left the scene.
Sadly, despite their best efforts, William was pronounced dead at the scene by first responders, triggering an outpouring of grief from the local community.
Since his death, over 1,000 people have donated money to a GoFundMe page set up by the family to help with covering the costs of the funeral.
Any extra funds that have been given to the campaign will be given to the St Mary and St Eanswythe Church where the service took place in order to help them buy a new heating system.
William's mother Laura said that she and her family were experiencing "unimaginable grief" as they try to move on from his terrible passing.
She went on to update the GoFundMe page to pay tribute to her son: "We have organised a beautiful send-off for our son. We are going to donate the entirety of the funds accumulated through your wonderful generosity to St Eanswythe's Church who are in desperate need for a new heating system which costs £35,000.
She continued: "Our son William exuded nothing but warmth and kindness. In his memory we would love nothing more than to replace the heating system in his honour."
William's funeral also received royal approval after King Charles allowed for the seven-year-old to be buried in the church's historic churchyard that been closed to new burials since 1857.
Writing in his school yearbook in 2021, William said he had a special connection to the churchyard, saying: "I feel peaceful when I am sat under the chestnut tree."
Mourners outside the church could watch the service that had been live-streamed on a large screen. Many of those wishing to pay tribute were seen crying, praying and holding flowers in tribute to the boy.