Tributes to Bristol OAP hit by car on zebra crossing

Family and friends have paid tribute to a Bristol pensioner who has died eight days after being hit by a car.

Elsa Sully, 87, was hit by a Ford Fiesta as she used a zebra crossing in Northumbria Drive, Henleaze, at 10.30am on October 8.

Mrs Sully suffered a broken collar bone, two broken ribs, and a broken ankle in the incident. She died at Frenchay hospital on October 16 with her two sons by her side.

Mrs Sully, of Brean Down Avenue, was returning home after collecting her daily newspaper with her 86-year-old friend Peter Essex when the incident happened.

Mr Essex was also seriously injured in the collision, but has been released from hospital.

Mrs Sully's son Robert said: "Elsa was a very gentle, understanding and helpful person who would not hurt a fly. It is absolutely tragic that she has died as the result of a needless traffic accident. She died very peacefully at Frenchay hospital late on Friday, October 16. She will be sorely missed by her friends and family."

Mrs Sully's next door neighbour Sally Noble, had known her for 15 years. Mrs Noble, who is in her 70s, said: "Elsa had two sons who came to see her regularly and grandchildren who loved her dearly.

"She loved gardening, it was her great love. She was always out there. She used to advise us all on our gardens. She was a very strong, tall and slim woman, but she was also very caring."

As of last night, police said that no one had been charged or arrested in connection with Mrs Sully's death. But police are appealing for anyone who may have witnessed the incident to contact them.

Born in Liverpool on May 21, 1922, Mrs Sully was a talented swimmer and athlete who represented Lancashire.

She volunteered for the RAF and was posted to the heavy bomber base in the east coast of England.

During RAF service, she met her first husband, Robert Gray, a pilot flying Stirling and Halifax bombers.

Their son Robert, now 65, was born while they were stationed at Lichfield, Staffordshire, in 1944.

Some time after the war, the couple's marriage ended and Mrs Sully moved to Horfield with her son.

Mrs Sully then married Michael Sully on November 12, 1949, and they set up home in Toronto Road, Horfield, where her second son Stephen, now 58, was born.

In 1965, the couple decided to rebuild Waterloo Farm, near Banwell, Somerset, but she returned to Bristol when Mr Sully died in 1991.

Mrs Sully had four grandchildren: Elizabeth, 27; Katie, 27; Emma, 25; and Robert, 23.

Anyone with information about the incident on October 8 should contact the Collision Investigation Unit on 0845 456 7000, or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

All who knew Mrs Sully are invited to her funeral on Friday, October 30, at 2pm at Canford Crematorium, in Westbury- on-Trym.

The family has asked for no flowers, but for donations to be made to Cancer Research and St Peter's Hospice.

Tributes to Elsa Sully can also be left at Lasting Tribute.