A man who had come to the UK for a new beginning has been killed in a crash.

Cristian Dumitru died when he was struck by a silver Mercedes CLS shortly before 1am in Lower Stone Street, Maidstone, on Saturday.

His brother, Dorel Dumitru, was called at 3.30am and came straight from his home in London to see his brother.

He said: "I paid for his plane ticket here and found him a job. He'd been here for about a month and he was working for an agency for a day or two.

"It was a new beginning. It looks like it was a big mistake bringing him here. If only I could turn back time.

"The police called me in the middle of the night, they found his phone and I was the last one to speak to him on the phone. I came here at half five in the morning but the body wasn't here anymore and I couldn't see him."

As of lunchtime today, he had not seen his brother and was not sure it was him.

He said: "It's a shock. It's half past one and I got here at 7am. I still haven't seen him.

"What can I tell my mum, what if it's not him? I cannot tell her he is dead and two days later he is not.

"I've been told I'll need £10,000 to take him to Romania but I don't have that kind of money.

"I saw him on Friday. I live in London and he lives over here. I said stay here and if it doesn't work we'll look over here.

"I found him a house over here and paid his rent, and now this has happened."

In the early hours of Saturday morning, Palace Avenue and the surrounding roads were sealed off by police.

A passer-by, who did not want to be named, said they noticed a huge amount of emergency service vehicles in the town centre in the moments after the accident.

A police spokesman added: "The force’s Serious Collision Investigation Unit are investigating the circumstances and would like to hear from anyone who has information.

"They would also like to obtain dash cam footage from anyone travelling in the Palace Avenue and Lower Stone Street areas shortly before the time of the collision."

A police cordon was set up along Palace Avenue and Lower Stone Street.

Medics and multiple emergency service vehicles were also spotted close to the bingo hall at the foot of Gabriels Hill.

Anyone with information is asked to call police on 01622 798538, quoting RY/COJ/154/18, or email sciu.td@kent.pnn.police.uk