Murder manhunt for Land Rover driver who rammed into young mum

A young mum who was the victim of a hit-and-run murder has been named after being rammed off an e-bike in a country lane. Alana Armstrong died at the scene of the collision in Batley Lane, Pleasley, on the Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire border, at around 8pm on Tuesday (November 26).

The collision involved an e-bike and a dark coloured 4x4, believed to be a Land Rover Discovery, which had followed two e-bikes before ramming one of the bikes causing the rider and the passenger on the back to fall off the bike. The car then drove off from the scene without stopping.

The 25-year-old, from Tibshelf, was riding on the back and was pronounced dead at the scene. The rider of the bike, a man in his 20s, was taken to hospital and has since had to have his leg amputated below the knee.

Officers want to hear from anyone who saw a dark coloured Land Rover Discovery, believed to be manufactured between 2004 and 2009, in and around the Pleasley area prior to 8pm on Tuesday. The vehicle was last seen on Rowthorne Lane where it turned right onto the A617 towards New Houghton.

Two people, a man and a woman, both in their 30s, from the Skegby area of Nottinghamshire, who were arrested in connection with the incident, have been released without charge and have been ruled out of the investigation. Derbyshire police's Chief Superintendent Dave Kirby said: “Alana was just 25 – and a mum to a six-year-old boy.

“Her little boy, along with her wider family, will never get the chance to see her again, hug her again, spend Christmas together, or celebrate all those milestones. My thoughts, as well as those of the whole force and community, are with them at this time.

“The Land Rover Discovery that rammed the e-bike had pursued two bikes through the village – and drove off up Batley Lane – onto Rowthorne Lane – and the last known sighting of it was at this junction, turning right onto the A617 towards New Houghton. Since Tuesday, a team of detectives have been working non-stop, searching the site where Alana was killed, conducting house-to-house enquiries and scouring CCTV in the area.

"Two people who were arrested in connection with the incident have now been released without charge – and have been discounted from our investigation. We have already received a significant amount of information from the public and I want to thank everyone who has come forward already to help our investigation.

"However, I know that there is more information out there – and there are people who know who the person responsible is. Specifically, we know that there were two people in the Land Rover Discovery, which was manufactured between 2004 and 2009, that night – a man driving the vehicle and a woman in the passenger seat.

“We urgently want to hear from anyone who may know those two people, who has seen a Land Rover Discovery that may have damage to its front end – or who knows of a vehicle matching that description that may have been recently repaired or had parts replaced.

“We also really want to speak to anyone who may have CCTV – in particular along the A617 from this junction heading towards New Houghton.

“Finally – I want to return to Alana. As an officer, as a member of the local community, and as a father, I am devastated for her little boy, her family and her friends and we will do all we can to find those responsible.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact Derbyshire police by calling 101 or via a number of online methods. You can also anonymously contact the independent charity CrimeStoppers, on 0800 555 111, or by visiting the CrimeStoppers website.