One woman was injured and another had to jump for her life with her young son after a suspected hit and run driver struck in Falmouth on Monday morning.
Leanne Whittaker was taking her two-year-old son Tom to nursery when they almost fell victim to the driver of a white car who, she believes, drove deliberately at them on the road which runs behind Swanpool.
While Leanne managed to jump to safety, taking Tom in his pushchair with her, another pedestrian just in front of them was not so fortunate. She was knocked to the ground and as a result, spent the morning at accident and emergency at the Royal Cornwall Hospital at Treliske. It is understood the woman, reported to be Polish, was not too badly injured.
The incidents took place shortly after 7.30am, but what was thought to be the offending car, was seen still in the area a couple of hours later. Reliving the near-miss, Leanne said: “I was walking around the back of the lake and I just heard this car behind me. I always keep an eye out and turned around and saw this white car coming down towards me.
“I managed to get onto the grass verge so the car swerved out and around the corner and then I heard a crash. I got off the grass and started to run to see where the car was and if anyone had been hurt. I saw a girl, maybe about 20, who had been knocked down. Another woman was there who said the car had just sped off.”
The other woman helped the victim to her feet and Leanne could see her trousers were torn and she had mud “all over her face.” Leanne called the police and despite initially saying she wanted to go home, the young woman was taken to hospital.
Leanne dropped her son off to nursery and went into town and it was as she walked home at about 9.30am that she thinks she saw the car again, first in the car park at Swanpool and then driving along the road.
“I saw this white car coming towards me and on the right side under the light I saw a bit of the car was missing,” she said. “I then looked up and saw the windscreen had been smashed in, there was a crack in it. It had to be the car so I just legged it back to the cafe on the beach and rang the police again.”
Leanne, who lives at Trenoweth Road, thinks the car was being driven by an older man and after mulling it over, she is convinced the hit and run was no accident. “I think he definitely meant to drive at me, I’m pretty sure of that,” she said.
“I moved out of his way, but he swerved towards me. I’m pretty sure he was aiming at me. He was on the wrong side of the road and then went on to hit the other woman. It was terrifying.”
Falmouth and Helston police posted on Facebook about the incident saying: “Yesterday morning at around 07.30am we received multiple reports that a white 2012 plate Toyota Yaris was traveling around Swanpool area of Falmouth driving at pedestrians. One pedestrian was struck by the vehicle and was taken to hospital with minor injuries while others had to jump out of the way. One male has since been arrested and is currently in police custody awaiting an interview. This incident is being treated as a hit and run road traffic collision. If you witnessed the incident or saw the vehicle at any point prior to the incident please get in touch via 101 and quote log 0081 of 26/02/18. Falmouth Police.