'˜I thought Elisha wouldn't make it' - mum relives terrible Bourges Boulevard crash

Elisha Hills-Steedman was hit by the car as she walked with her mum back from a family trip to Peterborough Museum at about 3.30pm on Sunday, February 12.

The family were on the Bourges Boulevard pavement near the Park Inn hotel when they were struck by the Ford Focus.

Elisha suffered a fractured skull in the incident, but is now recovering at home in Muskham, Bretton.

Mum Michelle Steedman (40) who was also badly hurt, said: “We had been on the trip to the museum and were walking along the pavement to get back to the car park.

“My husband and other daughter were a bit ahead of us as the car park ticket was running out. We were laughing and joking as we walked, when the next thing I woke up on the pavement. I saw Elisha lying 100 yards away on the floor in front of me.

“I didn’t know what had happened - I had not heard or seen the car at all. I ran over, and when I saw her I didn’t think she was going to make it.

“There was lots of blood and bruising. She had an 8cm cut on her head, which was very deep, a chipped tooth, and she had lots of grazes on her face where she had skidded on the floor. She was unconscious. I was holding her head.

“My husband hadn’t even got back to us as he had seen the car just driving off but had not seen it hit us. As he turned round to see if we were okay, I was shouting and screaming that we needed an ambulance and we needed police.

“Some passers-by had already called 999 and the ambulance was there really quickly.”

Michelle said Elisha’s injuries were made worse as she suffers from KBG Syndrome, a rare chromosome disorder, which made her ‘even more fragile’.

Michelle said: “Elisha was unconscious for a couple of minutes, but then she opened her eyes.

“No-one had told me what had happened as they were phoning police. A few people stopped when they saw me holding her.

“We were taken to Peterborough City Hospital and Elisha had to have her head stitched up as they had to stop the bleeding.

“She had a really bad fracture and she had to have a CT scan on her head and her neck.

“It showed she had no brain injuries which was a good thing.”

Elisha was discharged from hospital two days later on Tuesday, February 14.

Michelle said: “She is still in shock and often just stares into space. She also is having balance problems and needs help with some day-to day activities. Her mouth is sore, and she chipped her tooth so she does not want to eat.

“I really don’t know how she survived.”

Michelle also needed hospital treatment, with bruising on her neck, throat, shoulder, spine and ribs. She also had to have a wound on her head glued back together and had to return to hospital as she was suffering from concussion.

A 22-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of causing serious injury by dangerous driving, leaving the scene of an accident and drug driving. He has been bailed to reappear at Thorpe Wood Police Station on Sunday, April 9.

Police are still appealing for witnesses to come forward, in particular the driver of a light coloured SUV-type car and a moped rider who was wearing a dark coloured jacket and a light coloured helmet. Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.