POLICE are hunting for the driver of a Toyota after a 34-year-old man from Loughton was killed in a hit-and-run incident.

Police were contacted by the ambulance service at 6.30am yesterday morning (August 6) following reports that a body was lying on Epping High Road.

Officers arrived at the scene to find the body of a man.

Following a forensic examination of the scene, police have identified the vehicle which struck the man as a large Toyota with grey trim and chrome wing mirrors.

The vehicle will have extensive front, passenger-side damage.

A police spokesman said: "We’re keen to speak to the driver of this Toyota or anyone who knows of a model which has crash damage to it and which has sustained this damage since the early hours of Saturday morning.

“We continue to appeal to any motorists who were using High Road after midnight to contact us so that we can pinpoint the exact time as to when this collision happened.”

A section of the road which was closed to allow forensic officers to conduct their investigation was reopened at 6pm yesterday.

Police have not yet named the man who was killed.

Anyone with information relating to the incident is urged to contact Essex Police’s Serious Collision Investigation Unit on 0300 333 4444.

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