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A teenager run over by a car while scootering to school has been left traumatised and out of class until she’s fully rested and healed.
Her father is questioning why authorities haven’t addressed the accident with urgency, telling the Herald police had failed to log an incident report and weren’tgoing to consider charges without further “hard evidence”.
Senior Sergeant Chris Preet, of Counties Manukau road policing unit, said they’re still waiting to speak to both parties “to understand the full circumstances surrounding the incident”.
“One person suffered moderate injuries and was transported to hospital, where they were released later that same day,” Preet said.
Joe Ben’s 17-year-old daughter was scootering along Māngere‘s Hokianga St to Aorere College on Monday when she was hit by a vehicle at the Portage Rd turn-off, about 1km from the school campus.
Hato Hone St John said they were alerted at 8.48am and took one person to Middlemore Hospital in moderate condition.
“A neighbour helped my daughter and stopped the car ... and said ‘don’t leave until the police come’,” Ben said.
The crash was on the corner of Hokianga St and Portage Rd, about 1km from Aorere College in Māngere. Photo / Google Maps
Ben alleged the attending officers took down relevant information, including the plate number and driver’s licence details, but failed to file the incident report.
Updating him on the case yesterday, police allegedly said they hadn’t taken any enforcement action “because they wanted to have hard evidence for the driver so it will not be dismissed if they push through the prosecutor”, Ben said.
“Why do they tell me that they need hard evidence? When they arrived on the scene, my daughter was still on the side road, her head was still bleeding and the paramedic had to carry [her],” Ben said.
“It’s not okay the driver can be at large. They can do whatever they want and carry on in their normal way, while my daughter is still in the trauma, still crying every night, every time she feels pain in her body.”
Ben said police haven’t advised him of their next steps, only that they wanted to gather more evidence.
Police are still waiting to speak to both parties "to understand the full circumstances surrounding the incident”, Senior Sergeant Chris Preet says. Photo / NZME
“What if they had a daughter, right? And what if that accident also happened to their daughter. Is it okay for them also?”
Aorere College is on Portage Rd, which Ben said has significant safety issues, including a lack of signs and no CCTV, which have been raised with council before.
“For us as parents, for authorities and for the school, when will they make a move for the safety of the people and the students?”
