Dad of schoolgirl 'left for dead' in hit-and-run slams cops over lack of arrests (2024)

The furious father of a schoolgirl 'left for dead' after a hit-and-run in Wishaw has hit out at police for failing to arrest her attacker.

Jessica Frew, 12, was knocked to the ground by the driver of a silver Vauxhall Corsa as she crossed Cambusnethan Street in the North Lanarkshire town at 4.30pm on Friday, April 19. The child was left lying unconscious in a pool of blood as the senseless driver fled the scene.

It is understood that the motorist overtook a number of stationary vehicles and sped through a red light as the youngster crossed the road. Jessica was left with a series of horrific injuries, including a disfigured lip, smashed teeth, a severely bruised collar bone and cuts and bruises across her body.

In addition to her wounds, the schoolgirl has been suffering from night tremors and anxiety since the incident took place more than a month ago. Police say inquiries into hit-and-run remain ongoing as the force is yet to make any arrests.

In the meantime, dad Robert, 51, fears somebody else could be hurt or even killed as Jess's attacker remains at large.

He told the Record: "I am actually raging over the fact that it has been over a month and that driver is still out there. I would love to know where they stayed so I could find them myself and drag them to the police station.

"It makes me sick to think that they left Jessica for dead and that they could do that again. They could kill someone and there's nothing that the police could do about it because there's nothing seemingly getting done about my child.

"It seems to me that the person that does it has no morals and doesn't care one bit about the fact he mowed down a 12-year-old child."

At the time, detectives launched an investigation and appealed to any witnesses of the horror collision, or anyone with information, to come forward. A wing mirror - which struck Jess' face - was also left behind at the crash site.

Robert said he immediately bagged the mirror as he arrived at the scene so officers could use it as evidence.

He said: "This was a daylight hit-and-run and there was a wing mirror left behind at the scene that snapped off the car. When I arrived, I picked it up with a t-shirt and put it into a plastic bag to make sure there were no fingerprints on it before I gave it to the police.

"They've got that as a vital piece of evidence, surely they could do some fingerprint analysis on it. I requested police to backdate the CCTV in the area and they said that they'd do that.

"But, as of yet, there's nothing further on it. It makes me boiling angry that there have been no arrests yet."

Jessica has been put on a waiting list for surgery at a local dental hospital as all of her upper teeth have been left fractured. The family have been told she could wait for up to a year before a date for an operation is confirmed.

Robert said: "The impact this has had on my daughter has been horrendous. All of the teeth on her top row are fractured - the whole lot.

"She's going to need to get fitted with a plate that she will wear for the rest of her life but until then, she will have got to sit in pain with her teeth. No kid deserves this. Jess hasn't been the same at all since the hit-and-run took place, she has been left traumatised.

"She's back at school now but she hasn't been coping very well - she always has to have someone walking beside her when she walks on any pavement beside the road."

He continued: "There is definitely somebody out there who knows who done this. As a dad, I appeal to them to have some mercy and get in touch with the police with that information.

"The fact that this driver is still out there and could do it again is just beyond me - it keeps me awake at night."

Police confirmed that at present, there are no further updates.

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."

Anyone with information is asked to contact Police Scotland on 101, quoting incident number 2562 of Friday, April 19, 2024.

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