Girl, 6, run over and dragged under car in horror hit-and-run still wakes up in night and says ‘why was that man so mean to me?’
A SIX-YEAR-OLD girl crushed under a car in a horror hit-and-run still wakes up in night and asks “why was that man so mean to me?”
Michalina Eslinger, six, made a miraculous recovery after a disqualified driver dragged her under his car as she played on a scooter outside her home.
She broke her pelvis, both thigh bones, her right lower leg, her collar bone and suffered horrible facial burns in the hit-and-run.
Her family say she is lucky to be alive as she returns to school in a wheelchair this week in Splott, Cardiff, just eight weeks after the crash.
‘LUCKY TO BE ALIVE’
Her dad Kristoph – who saw banned driver Ashley Evans speed away from the scene – said: “She has been so brave. We are so lucky she is here with us.”
A judge said it was a “miracle that she was not killed” – and described the driver as “cowardly” for fleeing.
The CCTV camera showed how she had fallen off her scooter while playing outside when Ashley Evans sped around the corner.
Michalina dragged her along the road by her legs. She was trapped under his wheels until passers by were able to lift the car off her.
You ran her over and dragged her a short distance beneath the car. You drove the car away. Your behaviour was cowardly and inhuman.
Judge David Wynn Morgan
But callous Evans, 28, drove off, speeding away from the scene not knowing is she would be alive or dead.
Michalina suffered a broken pelvis and fractures to both thigh bones, her collarbone and right lower leg.
She needed surgery to fit plates in her legs and stayed in the University of Wales hospital for ten days.
DISQUALIFIED DRIVER
Kristof, who has given up work to care for his daughter, says Michalina wakes up in the night crying and asks: “Why was that man so mean to me?”
Her father said: “It has been hard for Michalina to miss school because she really loves to go.
“Her legs are still very weak she can stand but only for a short time.
“In her thighs she has pins and screws and we are just waiting to see how well she recovers long term.”
Why was that man so mean to me?
Michalina, six
Ashley Evans had 37 previous offences on his criminal record including three for dangerous driving and six for driving while disqualified.
He was jailed for three years at Cardiff Crown Court after pleading guilty to causing serious injury while driving while disqualified, driving without insurance, driving while disqualified and failing to stop.
‘EVIL DECISION’
Michalina’s father added: “Our anger with Ashley Evans is passing. We are only sorry that his evil decision has caused so much hurt to our family and his own.
“I still can’t understand how this happened and I cry with relief when I think about what Michalina went through and how lucky we are she survived.”
Evans was also disqualified from driving for five years.
John Warren, prosecuting, said: “Evans drove into the street and drove straight over the girl as she lay prone on the ground.
Witnesses said Evans was “driving fast” and “as if he wanted to get away”.
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Mr Warren said: “He was thinking more about himself than the little girl he had injured. He panicked because he was a disqualified driver and fled the scene.”
Jailing him, Judge David Wynn Morgan said: “You ran her over and dragged her a short distance beneath the car.
“You drove the car away. Your behaviour was cowardly and inhuman.”
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