How did Ethan Anderson die in Emmerdale and why did Ruby Fox-Miligan run him over?

Ruby Fox-Miligan proved she was willing to stoop to any level in Emmerdale by hitting Ethan Anderson with her car but her revenge plan resulted in his death in a brutal twist.

Actor Emile John recently left the ITV soap in shocking scenes as his Dales alter ego collapsed ahead of a court hearing for his own road mishaps and died, despite his father Charles’ best efforts and village GP Manpreet Sharma getting involved to resuscitate him.

The vicar portrayed by Kevin Mathurin has since been a shell of himself as he joined the ranks of tortured Bob Hope and Liam Cavanagh, who also both lost their children under tragic circumstances.

Meanwhile, his partner Manpreet (Rebecca Sarker) is bending over backwards to comfort him as his overwhelming grief makes him push her away and Ruby (Beth Cordingly) decided to show her support.

Viewers of course know that Ruby is most likely responsible for Ethan’s death as she mowed him over with her car days before he drew his last breath, when he was seen clutching at his head before his fall. Vengeful Ruby took action after the discovery that Ethan was the reason her own son Nicky Miligan (Lewis Cope) was left in a coma after a drunken car crash.

Last month, the pair of men were trying to get to Nicky’s boyfriend Suni Sharma (Brahmdeo Shannon Ramana) after a few drinks. Ethan, who was behind the wheel at the time, escaped the scene and left Nicky for dead. Struggling to cope with the guilt, Ethan told Charles what had happened but was horrified when his own father turned him into the authorities, forcing him to face the music and a fuming Ruby who was determined to strike in retaliation.

Charles was enraged a few days later when Ethan was a no-show at the village fete but it turned out that he had actually been the victim of a hit-and-run and left for dead himself. A bloodied and injured Ethan dragged himself back to Emmerdale and collapsed in front of fellow villagers before being rushed to hospital, where Nicky remained comatose. When Ethan returned home, Ruby was confirmed as the raging driver in a tense conversation.

During this exchange, Ethan admitted he’d seen her behind the wheel only for her to double down on her threats as she warned him: “you better look both ways every time you cross the street. Because if Nicky doesn’t make it, be assured that I will finish the job.”

However, after Ethan’s death, Ruby’s steadfastness is slowly dissolving as she realises the impact of her actions on Nicky. Desperate to bond with her own son again after the tragedy, she made the decision to turn herself into the police this Wednesday, June 12. But will she really go through with it?