Anthony Canty, a lottery winner who saved a police officer’s life days before scooping £1m, has died after a suspected hit-and-run in Essex. The 39-year-old father of two was cycling on Maldon Road in Tiptree when he was struck by a black Ford Ka at 6.30am on 21 May. He was taken to hospital in a serious condition and died four days later, Essex police said.
An 18-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of causing serious injury by dangerous driving, driving while unfit through drink or drugs, and failing to stop. He remains under investigation as inquiries continue, the force added. The suspect allegedly fled the scene after the collision.
“Anthony Canty, EuroMillions winner who saved a policeman’s life, dies in suspected hit-and-run in Essex.”
Canty, a water supply worker from Maldon, won his EuroMillions prize in the May 5 draw in 2020 with his partner Katie Sullivan. The win came just weeks after he had saved the life of a police officer who collapsed on a bus while they were travelling home from Witham train station. Canty later described how the officer fell “in my lap” and he gave him CPR with help from a 999 operator and first aid training from work. The officer was airlifted to hospital and spent five days in intensive care. Canty stayed in touch with the officer’s partner, dropping off fruit and flowers, and remained in contact after the recovery.
Despite the win, Canty vowed not to give up his day job as an engineer but said he would take time off to bring his daughters to Disneyland when travel restrictions eased. He was pictured spraying champagne and holding a giant cheque after the jackpot.
Police are appealing for anyone who saw or has dashcam footage of a black Ford Ka being driven in the area around the time of the crash. Information can be reported to Essex police online quoting incident 174 of 21 May.