The Voice of Spalding and South Holland
A South Holland runner was left on the floor when a driver failed to stop after hitting her.
Luckily Lily Moore (24), of Fleet, escaped with only minor injuries including bruising in the incident on Hocklesgate, Fleet Hargate, in the evening of Monday, December 18.
But she is appealing for information to try and find the motorist as she’s worried another runner may not be so lucky in a similar collision.
Lily runs twice a week and was wearing bright, reflective clothing and a head torch at the time. She said she was following safety advice and running towards oncoming traffic.
“The main overriding feelings are disbelief and disappointment,” Lily said. “I still cannot believe it actually happened to me, as I’ve always been so cautious to be visible when running in the dark.
“As I was running I saw the car ahead. I began to slow down to a jog and I moved over onto the verge.
“I then looked at the car again, and I thought ‘that car’s not moving’ and I tried to move further out of the way.
“I didn’t really have time to realise it was going to hit me. I just ended-up on the floor, on my left side facing the other way, which was how
I saw the car driving away. I was in shock and had a slightly delayed reaction.
“I began screaming, I wasn’t in pain at this point, I was just instinctively wanting the car to hear me and stop or for someone to come out and help.
“I was on the floor when I waved down the next vehicle to pass, I began to cry and the shock took over.
“The kind driver of that vehicle was Gary Chappell, he pulled over with no hesitation and helped me up when I asked him to. He checked I was okay and comforted me while I waited for my dad to come and pick me up.”
How Lily would have looked to the driver
Lily says the incident has shaken her but she’s determined to keep running especially as she’d just returned to the sport from an injury.
“I started running for my mental health just over a year ago, I really enjoy running and it’s a shame this has happened and put a downer on something that I enjoy so much.
“Following the incident, I’ll very likely be joining my sister at her local running club, even though it’s not near to my home.
“I want to keep up running regularly during winter but I’m not going to go running on that road in the dark again.
“It wasn’t that I couldn’t be seen, it was that I had done all I could and I still had no control over my own safety, because of the driver’s actions.
“I did everything I could to be as safe as possible.
“There are some people out there that think their actions have no consequences. If I hadn’t moved into the verge and had just expected the car to move I would have been hit more head on and this story would be a lot sadder.
“This driver needs to take responsibility for their actions. To prevent it from occurring again.
“I am so very lucky I was just bruised, but others have not been as lucky as me and that needs to change.”
Lincolnshire Police said that following the incident, the driver drove off towards the A17.
The force is asking anybody with any information about what happened to contact Lincolnshire Police officers on 101 quoting ref number 318 of December 18.
