Hunt for mobility scooter man who left woman in agony

A MOBILITY scooter rider is being hunted by police after he mowed down a woman, breaking both her ankles.

The rider failed to stop after crashing into the woman at the traffic lights on Southcoates Avenue, east Hull, leaving the woman in agony.

Motorists stopped to help the woman, who was taken to Hull Royal Infirmary by ambulance.

The victim, 64, had been crossing the road and stopped on the island in the middle at around noon on Friday, May 17.

As she was waiting to cross, the man riding a mobility scooter knocked her to the ground.

Despite the accident having taken place two weeks ago, police haven't been able to identify the scooter rider.

A spokesman for Humberside Police said: "Two motorists stopped and helped the woman and she was taken to Hull Royal Infirmary by ambulance. The woman was treated for two broken ankles, broken toes and other injuries to her foot.

"The rider of the scooter did not stop at the scene and we would like to speak to him."

There has been a proliferation of mobile scooters over the past few years, with an ageing population and scooters becoming more affordable.

Calls have already been made to improve safety by introducing tests and medicals to ensure the riders are fit to use the vehicles.

But little data has so far been collected to measure how serious the problem is and how many accidents there have been involving mobility scooters.

Kevin Clinton, head of road safety at the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA), believes mobility scooter riders should not be above the law.

He said: "Mobility scooters provide an important form of transport for people who might otherwise not be able to get out and about.

"However, as with all forms of transport, they create some risk, for both the user and for other people.

"There is little data about the extent of accidents and injuries involving mobility scooters, which makes it difficult to assess the size of the problem, although data is being collected from the start of this year.

"RoSPA believes that, rather than introducing extensive new regulations, the approach should be to improve the quality and availability of guidance and training, for users, manufacturers and providers of mobility scooters, and to obtain better accident data to inform further measures.

"Having said that, RoSPA believes that some road traffic laws – specifically regulations governing careless and dangerous driving, driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol and the use of mobile telephones while driving, should apply to mobility scooter users."

The rider whom police are looking for is described as being aged in his late 60s, 6ft tall and of a broad build, with long, grey, thinning wavy hair. The rider or any witnesses are asked to call police on 101.