text: Parents' desperate plea after son, 23, killed on the A30 - Cornwall Live
  Parents' desperate plea after son, 23, killed on the A30
  Joseph Nickless was walking home in the early hours when he was struck by a van
  The parents of a young man who died after being struck by a van as he walked along the A30 have made a desperate plea to anyone who saw him during his final moments.
  Joseph Nickless' body was found in a ditch by the side of the dual carriageway near the Avers junction, near Scorrier, in the early hours of May 19, 2018.
  He had been out celebrating with work friends at the Miners Arms in Redruth the previous evening and was struck by a silver VW Caddy as he was walking to Perranporth.
  His devastated parents, David and Annelies Nickless, say they still do not know exactly what happened to their son and are appealing for anyone who saw him walking along the road to come forward.
  In particular they are hoping to track down a tractor driver who may have been in the area at the time.
  Joseph Nickless died when he was 23
  "He had been out with his work friends," David said. "They had been celebrating a job that they had been working on. The party-type thing broke up at about 10pm but Joe stayed in the pub until about 11.30pm. He had been talking to some girls and playing pool.
  "His phone had run out of battery at about 9.30pm, we believe, so he wasn't able to phone me or anyone to get a lift."
  Joseph, the youngest of four brothers, left the pub at about 11.30pm and it's thought he was hit at about 12.20am. The driver of the van left the scene but later contacted police.
  David said his son's body was discovered by officers shortly after 2am.
  "He got struck at about 12.18am in the early hours of the morning," he said. "The car that hit him didn't stop and continued to drive for 11-and-a-half-miles until he got to Carland Cross."
  Joseph Nickless, aged 23, died after he was hit by a van on the A30. (Image: Family photo)
  Following Joseph's death police issued an appeal looking for the driver of a tractor that was seen in the area. The vehicle was reportedly displaying a flashing amber beacon and towing a plough-type implement.
  David added: "I guess there's not many tractors out at that time of the day so whoever the driver is, if he gets to hear it, the chances are he'll know."
  His family are desperate to hear from anyone who may be able to help piece together exactly what happened.
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  "It's crippling us really because we don't know really what happened," David said. "You surmise all sorts of things.
  "He was a sensible lad, Joseph was. He had had a drink but it wasn't as though it was the first time he had had a drink."
  They added that Joseph's friends said when they left him at the pub he was in "top form".
  Joseph Nickless as a boy (Image: Family photo)
  David said: "We know he hadn't had any amount to drink after they had left because that day he had gone out, he'd taken the wrong bank card with him.
  "He had taken a card that he needed to access cash through Barclays bank but he didn't know that Barclays bank in Redruth had closed so he wasn't able to get access to cash, so the drinks he had that day were bought for him by the group he went out with.
  "From 10pm on he wouldn't have had a lot to drink."
  David added that police told the couple Joseph's blood alcohol level was two-and-a-third times the legal drink drive limit.
  The family were planning a big camping trip to France shortly before Joseph's death.
  Paying tribute to her son, Annelies said: "He lit up the room. He was very loveable."
  Joe was the youngest of four brothers (Image: Family photo)
  David added: "He was the life and soul of the party, he was really good company. He was a comedian.
  "He was just a nice lad, 23, just setting out on life."
  In December 2018, Sam Macklin, 26, pleaded guilty to failing to stop after an accident where injury was caused.
  He was given eight penalty points, fined £126 and ordered to pay £85 in costs and a £30 victim surcharge.
  Anyone who saw Joseph in his final moments is asked to contact the family's solicitor via sefton.kwasnik@bpslaw.co.uk or by calling 01618 342 623.