Family of girl left for dead in hit-and-run "tracking Vauxhall Corsa" in bid to trace driver

Jessica Frew, 12, was left badly injured after she was knocked to the ground by the driver of a silver Vauxhall Corsa in April.

The family of a little girl who was left for dead in a hit-and-run in Wishaw are tracking Vauxhall Corsa cars in a bid to trace the driver.

Jessica Frew's loved ones say they are conducting their "own investigation" into the crash after being "abandoned" by police. The schoolgirl, 12, was left seriously injured after she was knocked to the ground by the driver of a silver Corsa as she crossed Cambusnethan Street in the North Lanarkshire town at around 4.30pm on Friday, April 19.

She was left lying unconscious in a pool of blood as the senseless driver fled the scene. It is understood the motorist overtook a number of stationary vehicles and sped through a red light as the child crossed the road on her return home from a park. Six months on, Police Scotland continue to look for the suspect.

Jessica's dad, Robert, has resorted to taking the matter into his own hands after claiming the family has been "left in the dark" by police.

The 51-year-old said: "It has been six months and that driver is still out there and it seems as though nothing has been done. As a dad, I can't just sit there knowing this. We've decided to start doing our own investigation to try and get this driver traced and convicted.

"We haven't heard anything from police about any developments for some time now and we are feeling as though we have been abandoned and left in the dark about what is going on in terms of their investigation. Six months on, this driver should have been found and arrested by now.

"Jessica was knocked down in broad daylight on a busy street. That driver should have been brought to justice a long time ago."

Jessica was left with horrific injuries including a disfigured lip, smashed teeth, a severely bruised collar bone and cuts and bruises across her body. She has since attended multiple appointments at a dental hospital as all of her upper teeth have been left fractured.

CCTV footage obtained by the family shows a wing mirror snapping from the silver Corsa moments after it ploughed into the child at speed. The wing mirror was tossed onto the ground at the scene of the crash, which dad Robert believes to be a vital piece of evidence.

He is using the broken mirror as a steer into his own probe.

He said: "I have been looking at silver Corsas coming and going out of the area and I am closely checking to see if they have been modified in any way which might show it once had a missing wing mirror. As well as this, I'm taking their reg plate and tracking which routes they take.

"Once I have gathered a decent log of cars that fit the description of the car that hit Jessica, I will then take this to the police."

He added: "As a family, we just want this driver to be caught. Without a care in the world, they could have left Jessica for dead. We shouldn't need to have to conduct our own investigation but the thought of that driver still being out there after all this time makes me sick to my stomach.

"They could end up killing somebody."

Constable Paul Taylor said: “We are appealing for anyone who may have witnessed this collision and is yet to speak to officers to please get in touch. In particular, we would ask people with private CCTV or dashcam footage of the surrounding area on the afternoon of Friday, 19 April, to check in case they have captured a silver Vauxhall Corsa."

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