The shocking moment kids on motorbike run down schoolgirl on footpath
WARNING - DISTRESSING CONTENT: The family of a 15-year-old English schoolgirl who was run down by a motorbike on a footpath have released video of the horrific incident to warn others about the dangers of riding on paths.
Jess Chisnall was walking home from school in St Helens when she was struck by the off-road bike and suffered serious injuries including bleeding on the brain.
The 15-year-old was placed in a medically-induced coma after the horror incident in January and continues to recover from the ordeal.
Jess' family have agreed to allow police to release the footage to show the horrific impact illegal use of an off-road bike can have.
Video shows the 16-year-old bike owner and 12-year-old rider illegally riding along the footpath with Jess and her friends walking on the same footpath up ahead.
Within seconds the 12-year-old hits Jess and she is knocked to the ground.
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People quickly gather around Jess, rushing to her aid.
Her dad Carl Chisnall recalled the moment he saw her “lifeless” on the pavement and “thought she was dead”, The Sun reports.
“It was a typical Friday afternoon waiting for the girls to come home from school and college, then a bang on the door changed our lives dramatically," he said.
“Our first thought was someone had hit her and nothing prepared us for what was to happen next.
“I ran to her and saw her lifeless on the floor – I was in shock and my first thought was she was dead. I just kept saying her name over and over, not knowing if she could hear me or the seriousness of the injuries she had sustained.”
The 16-year-old was given a Detention and Training order and was disqualified from driving for five years while the 12-year-old was given a Youth Referral Order.
The off-road bike had been given to the 16-year-old passenger of the bike as a reward for good achievement in school.
“Our daughter has been set back by all that has happened and our lives have changed dramatically, but we have fought hard to support her as a family," Jess's mum said.
“It’s been a tough year and we are all looking forward and try not to look back.”
Chief Inspector Gary O’Rourke said the injuries suffered by Jess "were completely avoidable".
"Jessica and her family continue to suffer because of the reckless behaviour of two individuals who didn’t think of the consequences that riding a powerful motorbike in a built-up area might cause," he said.
