CROSSING ‘PUTS LIVES IN DANGER’
KIMBERLEY Hagen has told of her “pure shock’’ as she hurtled through the air after being struck by a car at one of Upper Coomera’s busiest intersections.
Landing on her back and in pain, metres from the pedestrian crossing she had been crossing seconds earlier, Ms Hagen then struggled to pull her injured dog Jess from beneath the vehicle.
“It was horrifying. I remember the noise and being thrown into the air. I couldn’t believe we had been hit,” Ms Hagen told the Bulletin.
“Then I was lying on the road.
“We are lucky to be alive.” Ms Hagen had been walking her two dogs with partner Rick Taylor on the night of February 19 when she was struck while trying to cross at the intersection of Reserve and Abraham roads.
Still recovering from her injuries, she now hopes to prevent a tragedy at the intersection by campaigning for installation of a red light camera.
“I suffered a broken left leg, torn knee ligament, bruising and ended up with DVT (deep vein thrombosis) due to blood clots in my leg which required medication, and I was left with neck and back pain and bad bruising and grazing on my right arm,” she said.
“Our pet whippet Jess required vet treatment. At the time of the accident Rick was recovering from hernia surgery himself and had to lift me up off the road so it was quite distressing for us.” Since the accident, Mr Taylor said he had almost been hit twice at the same intersection because cars had failed to give way to him, despite the pedestrian light being green.
“It’s a real problem spot and it’s very dangerous. Drivers are not giving way to pedestrians when turning right,”
Ms Hagen said. “It’s too busy. Drivers are looking for oncoming traffic and don’t check to see if people on foot are there. Pedestrians don’t get enough time to cross either. It would be even more difficult with young children or if you were elderly.”
Slater and Gordon Associate Paigen Green warned people to be mindful of risks as they return to normal routines. “A moment of inattention on the road can have catastrophic consequences and that has been the case for Kimberley who has been left with serious injuries and unable to work,” she said.
Police are still investigating and have appealed for witnesses. The driver has not been charged.