Woman run over and killed by man stealing her car

Partner's young son sees woman, 42, run over by own sports car
Lynda Hankey hit by her own car as it was being stolen from outside her home
Linda Hankey, 42, of Wigan, who died after she was hit by her own car as it was being stolen from outside her home. Photograph: Greater Manchester Police/PA

A woman was run over and killed after she confronted a man who was trying to steal her sports car from outside her home.

Lynda Hankey, 42, was hurled on to the bonnet of her car and suffered serious head injuries. Police said she had left the engine of her yellow MG running while she went back inside to collect her partner, Jamie Hudson, and her five-year-old son, Tyler, who both witnessed the attack.

She returned to find a man in the driver's seat and ran to the front of the car to try to stop him. He drove the vehicle straight at her, and she was thrown on to the road with severe injuries. She died in hospital several hours later.

Ian Hopkins, assistant chief constable of Greater Manchester police, said a 22-year-old man from Wigan and a 23-year-old man from Leigh had been arrested today on suspicion of murder. Police believe other people were involved in the incident yesterday afternoon and he urged them to come forward.

The stolen vehicle was recovered in Leigh, approximately 11 miles away, at 10am today and it is being examined.

Hopkins said: "Clearly the individuals involved are extremely callous."

Hankey had two grown-up sons, Nathaniel, 23, and Damian, 20, and lived with her partner Ms Hudson and her son. The family is said to be "absolutely distraught".

Hopkins said: "Lynda went into the road and attempted to prevent him driving away. He drove directly at her and knocked her into the air and she suffered very severe injuries." He urged people not to leave their cars with engines running as they de-iced their vehicles.

Police family liaison officers are comforting Ms Hudson.

Bouquets were delivered to the couple's house by wellwishers. One of them, Jim Gaskell, 60, said: "Lynda and Jamie are two really nice girls. There has been antisocial behaviour going on on this estate since 1992. Someone loosened my wheel nuts on my car not so long ago and I didn't realise until I was driving on the motorway with the family."

Next-door neighbour George Norburn, 70, said: "Lynda was a really nice woman. They've only been here about 15-18 months, but from what I knew of her she was very nice.

"The first we heard about it was when the police knocked on the door. We didn't hear anything. It's not a particularly clever area, one or two things have happened in the past, ripping cars up and things, but it is terrible."

Hankey worked as a driver with courier firm DHL. The Facebook page she shares with her partner says: "We live together with our kids, Nathan, Dai and little Tyler. Very busy household and loud. We're both friendly people and family orientated."

A number of online tributes were paid to Hankey, including one from her son Nathaniel. He wrote: "She did nothing but love everyone and did not deserve to die like this."