This is the heart-stopping moment a five-year-old girl blissfully riding her scooter on the pavement was nearly killed by a hit and run driver.
Casey Wilson was happily riding her scooter along the pavement near her school in Cardiff with her brother and mum when an ‘out of control’ car collided into her.
CCTV footage reveals she made it to the top of the pavement before the driver careered across the busy road came from the left at lightning speed and crashed into her – before shamelessly driving off.
The car was being driven by Kurtis Dwyer, 35, who came from opposite them from the junction and overtook another car.
He then appeared to lose control, zoom across the road and hit Casey on her pink scooter.
The reckless driver told the court he had dropped his cigarette in the moments prior to losing control of the car.
Further CCTV showed Dwyer exited the car nearby and bolted. The crook had been banned from driving at the time and was driving his mum’s car without permission.
The five-year-old was taken to hospital where she made a full physical recovery but was left with PTSD and a severe lack of confidence as a result of the crash, her mum said.
In an unlikely decision for a hit and run driver, Dwyer, who was known to the family, chose to confess the crime to little Casey’s father after he felt certain he was highly likely to be caught by police.
He said: ‘I dropped a fag. I didn’t realise I’d hit your kid.’
Judge Simon Mills at Cardiff Crown Court said it did not make a difference to the case whether he’d dropped a cigarette or not and it was ‘miraculous’ Casey did not suffer extremely serious injuries or worse.
He added: ‘You admitted to the probation officer that you saw the child and yet you drove off. You’re then seen on CCTV making your way from the car in complete cowardice.’
Casey’s mother, Rachel Wilson, said that following the accident she bumped into Dwyer and ‘he shrugged and sneered at me.’
She added in a heartfelt statement in court: ‘Casey left the incident with numerous bruises and scratches. There was an angel looking down on her that day. She was a very lucky but unlucky girl.
‘Casey is five years old and the emotional impact on her has been severe. She has been living with PTSD since the incident and is in daily fear of any cars, crossings or the road in general.
‘Before this incident happened she was a confident happy little girl and she never had any issues. Now she is glued to my hip constantly.
‘One day I remember I pulled onto the drive and got out my car and a loud motorbike went passed the house and Casey was shaking, screaming and running in distress.
‘To see my daughter like this was horrendous. I felt helpless as a mother and it is something I cannot put into words.’
The court heard Dwyer had 15 previous convictions for 22 offences. They included driving while under the influence of alcohol, careless driving, driving while uninsured, battery twice, driving while disqualified and criminal damage.
He was sentenced to 14 months in prison, half of which he will serve in custody and the rest on licence. He also received a three year driving ban.