jasons cab: I'm so lucky to be alive, says woman mown down by a hit-and-run thief

Sunday, January 9, 2011

I'm so lucky to be alive, says woman mown down by a hit-and-run thief

A woman mown down by a hit-and-run thief says she is lucky to be alive.

Kirby Hamill was left for dead at the side of a road after being run down by a thief driving a stolen tractor on November 21.

Speaking publicly for the first time since leaving hospital, she said she would have died if she had not been found so quickly.

Mrs Hamill passed her friends Tony and Jenny Roulstone while walking in a country lane near her home moments before the incident, and it was they who found her.

She said: "I was so lucky they were there and able to get me help. I have a lot to thank them for because I would not have survived. They genuinely did save my life."

Mrs Hamill, 70, does not remember anything about the moment she was struck on a country lane near her home village of Clipsham, in Rutland.

"I was just taking a walk as I often do," she said. "I remember seeing some friends, who were also walking, and saying hello to them.

"The next thing I remember is voices telling me they were going to roll me over. I assume they were paramedics. The next think I was aware of was waking up in hospital. I had no idea what had happened to me. It was very frightening."

Mrs Hamill suffered a broken right arm, a smashed right leg and severe facial injuries. She underwent five operations lasting a total of 24 hours.

It was only after she had undergone the life-saving operations that she was told what had happened.

She said: "The vehicle hit me from behind. I'm surprised I didn't hear it coming, but they must have seen me because it's a narrow lane.

"They mowed me down and they didn't stop. It's very upsetting."

Mrs Hamill was unable to talk for a month following throat surgery and was only able to communicate with her family and staff at Walsgrave Hospital, in Coventry, using an Etch A Sketch – a child's toy used for drawing images.

Doctors allowed her to return home on Christmas Eve to continue recuperating with her husband, Jack.

Mrs Hamill's leg is still encased in a steel frame to support damaged bones but she hopes she will be able to return to her regular cycling, walking and gardening.

"I was told that had I not been active and healthy they would have amputated my leg," she said.

"I can get around slowly using a frame but it's very tiring. I'm not sure what will happen with my leg in the long term, but I hope to make as full a recovery as I can."

Mrs Hamill, who is a grandmother, urged anyone with information about the incident to contact police, who are still searching for the culprit. She said: "I'd like to see them caught. They should not get away with it."

At Christmas, carol singers in Clipsham raised �400 for the air ambulance that took Mrs Hamill to hospital and �200 for ward 32 at Walsgrave Hospital, where she was treated. She hopes to raise funds for the air ambulance – a charity reliant on public donations.

Police have issued a fresh appeal for information about the theft of the tractor, a yellow Mattbro Tele Handler, from a quarry in Bidwell Lane.

A spokeswoman said: "We are still actively investigating this, although no arrests have been made.

"We are delighted Mrs Hamill is recovering well at home and would like to hear from any who can help us find the person responsible."

Contact the police on 0116 222 2222.