A 17-year-old who was the victim of a hit-and-run has said she is too terrified to get back on her bike again.
Day Walpole was riding her moped along Rye Road at around 5.30pm on Monday, January 26 when she was knocked off by a silver-coloured Estate car, just in front of the new ALDI store.
The teenager was taken to Conquest Hospital by ambulance and suffered leg and knee injuries, swelling, bruising, neck and back pain, as well as headaches for several days. The driver of the car continued without stopping.
Day said, “After the incident, I was very shaken up. Every time I pass the spot where it happened, I feel anxious, even in my mum’s car.
“I will never ride a moped again, as other drivers on the road are very discourteous to me, and there have been many near misses in the past. It is hard to believe a person could hit someone and show no remorse and drive off, and I fear it may happen to others.”
Day’s mother, Lynn Walpole, added, “We only moved to Hastings three months ago from London, looking for a quiet life by the seaside, away from the ‘rat race’ of London. Day loved her moped but more importantly it gave her the freedom of independence. She was a safe, sensible driver, always wearing suitable protective clothing and Hi Vis. She needed the bike for her daily visits to look after her beloved pony in Pett. That’s all been taken away from her, and has made our lives very difficult.”
The moped, which was bought brand new in July 2014, will require hundreds of pounds to fix and as Day suffers from extreme social anxiety, she cannot take public transport and so must rely on taxis, which would prove expensive, or lifts from her mum, who has had to take days of work following the incident.
A spokesperson for Sussex Police said: “Anyone who saw what happened is asked to contact us via 101@sussex.pnn.police.uk or call 101, quoting serial 1181 of 26/1.”