Police hunt driver after 10-year-old girl seriously hurt in hit-and-run

Police have appealed for a driver to give himself up after a 10-year-old girl was left with life-threatening injuries in a hit-and-run collision.

The driver stopped shortly after the crash, which happened at about 6.40pm on Wednesday in Hillsview Avenue, Kenton, Newcastle, but abandoned the car and then fled on foot.

Emergency services were called and the girl was taken to hospital with serious injuries.

Northumbria Police said on Thursday morning that she remains in hospital “with life-threatening injuries”.

The car has been seized and inquiries are under way to identify and locate the driver.

The street where the incident took place was lined with police cars on Thursday, with residents describing how motorists regularly break the road’s 20mph speed limit.

Jay Scott, 33, said his 10-year-old daughter had been out playing with the injured girl the day before the crash.

He told the PA news agency: “The little one went and played with her at the park on Tuesday night. They didn’t know one another too well, I think they were in a large group together that evening, but it just shows you how close to home these things can happen.

“My daughter was very upset last night, she was crying. I was bathing my son when the crash happened, but she was sat by the window and heard the bang, even though it was from further down the road.”

Mother-of-four Lindsey Marshall, 37, described the road as a “death trap”, explaining how her then 22-month-old son was knocked down by a car four years ago, a short distance from where Wednesday’s collision happened.

She said of the incident: “He was rushed to intensive care, but fortunately he wasn’t too badly hurt in the end and came out with only liver damage.

“You see it all the time, cars flying down here without any care or concern for the speed limit.”

Yvonne Sample, 67, lives yards from where the girl was struck by the car, and said she saw flashing police car lights soon after it happened.

She added: “People are driving by really slowly today, but only because there’s loads of police cars and they’re worried about being caught speeding.

“Normally it’s like a race track.

“I’ve been saying for years that unless something is done then someone will get really seriously injured, and unfortunately now it’s too late.”

Restaurant worker Eleanor Spencer, 25, did not see the crash but said she was not surprised to hear that such an incident had happened on the street.

She said: “You see cars speeding up and down here all the time, I think because it’s a long stretch of road and because there are no speed cameras.

“It’s bad during the evenings, but during the actual nighttime when you’re sat in bed, you can hear them racing by even faster.”

Two women aged 28 and 31 have been arrested by police on suspicion of perverting the course of justice and remain in custody.

Police have urged the driver to make contact and identify himself.

Officers also appealed for any witnesses to the collision, or anyone who knows the identity or whereabouts of the driver, to contact police.

Anyone with dash-cam footage in the area before the crash is asked to contact police, and anyone with information is urged to call 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.