Durham Woman Injured In Crash

A Durham woman left injured after her car was hit by a hit-and-run driver has appealed for witnesses to the incident which took place in one of the North East’s busiest rush-hour hotspots.

Victoria Palmer, 23, is still having flashbacks and bad dreams about the crash on February 8th 2010 which left her with all-over bruises, seriously restricted movement and pain in her back and neck.

She was in the right-hand lane travelling east on the A184, approaching Testo’s Roundabout near Boldon, at 5.55pm when a silver car pulled out in front of her as it attempted a u-turn.

Miss Palmer, who was herself driving a silver Vauxhall Corsa, collided with the other vehicle, which she believes may have been either a silver Volkswagen Passat or Bora. The other driver sped away leaving her to nurse her injuries at the side of the road.

She is now being represented by serious injury specialists at the North East office of law firm Irwin Mitchell.

Solicitor Helen Seabury said: “This crash has knocked our client for six – she was left with serious injuries and psychological damage – and we want to help her achieve closure and get her life back on track.

“The incident occurred during rush-hour on one of the North East’s busiest interchanges. It is likely that it was seen by dozens of people and someone must have some information that can help us trace the driver of the other vehicle.

“It is possible to make a claim on her behalf through the untraced driver scheme, but the process would be much smoother if we could trace the other driver involved. This scheme is paid for by contributions from insurance premiums and as a consequence innocent drivers are paying for the actions of hit and run drivers.

“As the pictures prove, there was significant damage to our client’s car, so the person that is responsible for this will certainly know they did it – and someone will know them too. Alternatively, maybe a garage mechanic or bodyshop worker will recognise the damage and may be able to help.

“We strongly urge anyone who witnessed the incident, or who has any information whatsoever, to come forward and assist.”

Ms Palmer added: “I was about a quarter of a mile from the roundabout and travelling at around 60mph. The car pulled out in front of me with only five or six metres to spare – I couldn’t brake in time, nor did I want to swerve into the central reservation or into the traffic to my left.

“My airbag went off and my engine cut out. By the time I could see out the front window, the other car had accelerated out of the collision and was speeding off towards Testo’s Roundabout. My headlights were smashed so I couldn’t see its registration number.

“I’m still afraid to drive after what happened. My parents have been urging me to ‘get back on the horse’, saying it will only get harder the longer I leave it, but I’m incredibly nervous about getting back out on the road now.

“At the time, nobody stopped or came to help me – luckily an AA man was passing and came to assist me. I’m really hoping that someone would have seen something and can provide some useful information.”

Anyone who has more information can contact Helen Seabury confidentially on 0191 279 0119 or Northumbria Police on 03456 043 043.