The case of an unidentified London crash victim identified ten years after his tragic death has finally brought closure to a grieving family, following years of uncertainty and unanswered questions.
The victim was fatally hit by a vehicle in January 2015 while crossing the road near the Bell pub in Walthamstow, east London—just metres from the entrance of his home. Despite efforts by police to piece together his identity at the time, the man remained nameless for nearly a decade.
Although authorities managed to determine where he lived and successfully prosecuted the driver involved, they were unable to confirm his name. With just a few possessions and only a handful of contacts on his mobile phone, the case soon went cold.
Locals who had briefly encountered him believed his name was something similar to Brian Wallace. He was remembered as having a Northern accent and working as a cash-in-hand builder. Some believed he had a sister living in another part of north London.
Cold Case Reopened by Locate International
In 2022, renewed hope came when Locate International, a group of volunteer investigators, launched a fresh appeal in northern cities. Their targeted press campaign led to a crucial breakthrough in Sheffield.
That breakthrough came when an article about the cold case was published in the Sheffield Star in January. The story was read by Nik Dodsworth of South Yorkshire Police, whose involvement proved to be the key to unlocking the victim’s identity.
“I did some enquiries and found a partial DNA hit which brought up a Brian Alwyn Woolis, and I immediately noted the similarity of the name to Brian Wallace,” explained Inspector Dodsworth.
“I found an obituary for an Alwyn Woolis who had died in Derbyshire in 2016, and in the obituary his late son Brian was mentioned, as well as Alwyn’s daughter and another son.”
Following this discovery, Dodsworth managed to track down Bryan’s sister, who was able to provide a positive identification. The man who had died in Walthamstow was indeed Bryan Alwyn Woolis.
“My sympathy is with Bryan’s family, who had to live with not knowing what happened to him for several years. I am glad that they finally have some closure on this tragic incident and can begin to rebuild,” he added.
Although Bryan’s identity has been confirmed, certain details of his life remain a mystery. It is still unknown whether he had any children or a long-term partner. He is, however, believed to have been close to a woman named Sylvia, who was said to work in country and western venues in Nottingham.
Yvonne Naish, who led the investigation team at Locate International, said the team was committed to resolving the case: “I am really pleased that we have been able to let his family know what happened to him and hopefully bring them some peace of mind. The whole team spent a lot of time thinking about the case and trying to understand how the police had a name yet no one could locate his family.”
