Sorrow behind my smile
Crash victim quit her job over fears she would scare children
Abbie Fitz-Gerald was knocked down in Park Wood by McDonald’s worker, George Ball, 21, who had never ridden
a motorbike in his life.
Miss Fitz-Gerald was struck from behind and sent flying. She skidded along the road and only came to a stop when her head hit the kerb. As she lay in the road bleeding he hid the bike and fled.
Despite bravely smiling in a picture taken at hospital, she revealed how the accident left her feeling self-conscious.
Ball, from Sutton Valence, admitted his actions and was spared jail.
A woman left seriously injured after a stolen motorbike crashed into her, left her job working with children as she worried they would be scared by her face.
A young woman was left with horrific facial injuries after a man showing off on a stolen motorbike crashed into her sending her skidding along the pavement and into a kerb. Abbie Fitz-Gerald was knocked down by Maidstone Services McDonald’s worker George Ball, 21, who had never ridden a motorbike in his life.
As she began her battle to recover, she became so self-conscious about her injuries she changed roles as she thought the children she worked with would be scared to see her face. After Ball hit her, she lay unconscious bleeding from her head and he hid the motorbike in bushes and fled in his car. Miss Fitz-Gerald’s friends called an ambulance and she was taken to hospital where she received several stitches and spent the night. She was off work for three weeks.
Ball, of The Harbour, Sutton Valence, admitted causing serious injury by dangerous driving and driving without insurance or a licence at an earlier court hearing and later appeared before Judge Philip Statman at Maidstone Crown Court for sentencing.
Bridget Todd prosecuting told the court Miss Fitz-Gerald had been with friends on Bircholt Road, Parkwood Industrial Estate, near Maidstone.
Ball was mucking about on a stolen KRS 125cc and was riding up and down the road at speed. Ms Todd said: “He was showing off riding at speed and violently accelerating doing a number of laps with no helmet on or safety equipment. It was wet and there was poor visibility.” It was at this point Ball thought he saw police and sped up, but then braked and lost control, skidding along the road. He hit another boy on the leg before clipping a vehicle and then slid into Miss Fitz-Gerald. Ms Todd added: “The bike hit her from behind and lifted her off the floor and onto her face. “Miss Fitz-Gerald skidded on the concrete because of the impact and only stopped at the kerb when her head hit it. She lay unconscious and blood was pouring from her head and face which was unrecognisable.” Ball then picked up the bike tried to hide it in some shrubbery and ran back to his car and sped away from the scene. Miss Fitz-Gerald suffered a fractured eye socket, fractured cheek and cuts to her head which needed suturing. She also had cuts and bruises and a sprained wrist.
Ball was interviewed in April and made full admissions and estimated he was travelling at about 40mph, before he fled. He was jailed for 14 months for the offence, suspended for two years.
Ball was also ordered to carry out 240 hours of unpaid work and was fined £250 for driving without insurance and £100 for driving without a licence. He was also ordered to pay his victim £364 compensation and was banned from driving for three years.