A YOUNG mother has appealed for someone to help police finally catch the motorist who nearly killed her in a York hit-and-run almost 12 years ago.

Katie Scales, 23, of Haxby, says she is still 'haunted' by the incident on a pelican crossing in Blossom Street in December 2002, in which she was knocked down by a driver who failed to stop.

She was unconscious for four days with serious head injuries before making a good recovery but extensive police efforts to trace the driver of the black Fiat Punto ended in failure.

Now Katie has revealed how she harbours a faint hope that the motorist could still be found and brought to justice, finally bringing her closure from the traumatic event.

"This is something that obviously haunts me every day and to find the driver that did this to me would be a relief, not only to have a closure to the case but also to keep others safe," she said.

"I am wondering if I can jog people's memories - the person who did this surely did not keep it to themselves, and someone out there must know.

"I have a beautiful daughter and a family, and it's daunting to think how very close I was to losing my life, or my ability to achieve what I have."

She said the accident had left her very aware of the dangers for her four-year-old daughter, Imogen.

"When we go to a pelican crossing, I don't just say look for the green man but tell her she must also wait to check the cars have stopped."

Katie, who works as a receptionist at Cooper York on Clifton Moor, said she had no recollection of the accident, which happened onDecember 4 as she was crossing the road from All Saints' School to catch the bus back to Haxby.

However, she had been told that while a bus in the outside lane had stopped, a car on the inside lane carried on and struck her, throwing her into the air, causing two fractures to her jaw, and further fractures to her collar bone and upper arm.

" I had to have a plate put in my jaw and was in York Hospital for eight weeks, although they allowed me home for Christmas Day," she added.

 

It’s not too late to catch driver who caused the collision, says PC

THE policeman who led the investigation into the hit-and-run, PC Richard Gatecliffe, said that if new information came to light to help identify the driver, police action would certainly be taken.

“Apart from the driver with a guilty conscience eating away inside of them, somebody out there knows who was responsible,” he said.

“Loyalties can change and it’s still not too late to come forward with a name almost 12 years on.”

He said the driver could not possibly have been unaware they had struck somebody, but they made no effort to brake and nor did they stop.

“Despite the fact that the green man was on display, the offending driver of the black Fiat Punto ploughed into Katie sending her up into the air,” he said.

“The witnesses recall hearing a bang and then looked around to see Katie dropping from the air into the road.”

He said anyone with information should phone 101, select option 1, and speak to the Force Control Room, or phone Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.